It was an action-packed weekend for combat sports as there was plenty to go around for all tastes. In the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene, Noche UFC 4 went down in Glendale, Arizona, which saw Jean Silva submit Jose Miguel Delgado via third-round submission in the headliner (highlights).
Elsewhere on the card, Brandon Moreno defeated Joseph Morales via split decision, while Tommy McMillen defeated Marwan Rahiki via unanimous decision after a back-and-forth brawl(see what could be next for them here).
About 280 miles down the road, Dana White and Co. were busy putting on another event in Las Vegas, Nevada, this time in the boxing world with a major title fight featuring Zuffa star, Conor Benn, challenging Ryan Garcia for his WBC Welterweight strap.
Unfortunately for “The Destroyer,” he was the one who got destroyed as “King Ry” knocked him out in the second round. In the co-main event, another Zuffa fighter was in action as Jai Opetaia successfully defended his Zuffa and The Ring Cruiserweight titles against WBC champion, Noel Mikaelian.
For Garcia, it was his first defense after winning the strap earlier this year by defeating Mario Barrios. The victory further cemented his status as one of the faces of the sport in large part because he isn’t afraid to take on any and all challengers. In fact, since 2023 he has faced Conor Benn, Mario Barrios, Rolly Romero, Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis.
And Garcia is not ready to slow down one bit with the tough challenges as we he was quick to call for a fight against WBA Super Welterweight division king, Teofimo Lopez. And while the two men did have a cordial greeting prior to the fight, things got a bit tense after Lopez was denied entry to the ring (see it here). Nevertheless, it seems that is the fight to make next, and it will be a great one. If Garcia defeats Lopez his stock will get a huge boost and perhaps set up an even bigger fight against Shakur Stevenson.
As for Opetaia, he took another big step in his quest to become the unified Cruiserweight champion by winning the vacant Regular WBA strap after stopping Mikaelian in round 9. Afterward, he took the time to call for his next challenge, and it was a big one. Indeed, Opetaia challenged current WBA super Cruiserweight and WBO champion, David Benavidez.
Unlike Lopez, Benavidez was not denied entry into the ring — despite Dana White’s request to “The Mexican Monster” to not go in. The two men shared a polite handshake and face off and agreed that a mega title unification fight between them would be what’s needed. Furthermore, they agreed to throw down on Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2027 in Las Vegas.
Of course, in boxing there are a lot of politics involved, and since Opetaia is signed with Zuffa that further complicates things. But as we witnessed this past weekend with Garcia and Benn, it can be done. It’s long been said that Benavidez is the most-avoided fighter in boxing today. In fact, “The Mexican Monster” claimed Canelo Alvarez ducked him on several occasions, so he took the time to give Opetaia credit for actually calling for the fight.
Should these two mega-bout gets made, how do you see them turning out?
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