Jai Opetaia crushed Noel Mikaelian to a ninth-round stoppage to set up a clash with David Benavidez.Cruiserweight king Opetaia was making his latest appearance since signing for Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing on the huge Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn bill.Opetaia produced another scintillating display to halt Mikaelian before the final bellGettyThere had been so much drama in the build-up to the chief support clash, with the bout having been in jeopardy over legal issues.It was for the WBC world title held by Mikaelian, but discussions continued to erupt over Opetaia’s status, given Zuffa’s intentions to leverage their own belt.But the Australian put drama and politics to one side to secure a fantastic ninth round stoppage victory.Opetaia progressively wore down his rival and two crushing blows to a fatigued Mikaelian saw him stopped on his feet.Opetaia sets up Benavidez clash, pair face-offThe victory was seismic for his chances of climbing to the top of the division and potentially facing superstar David Benavidez.Benavidez was ringside along with Saudi boxing promoter Turki Alalshikh, who could well be keen to set up the clash.The ‘Mexican Monster’ climbed into the ring and the pair faced off after shaking hands.They verbally agreed to a bout in the ring, where things were kept very cordial.Benavidez insisted he was the division’s top dog but acknowledged Opetaia as a ‘boogeyman’.It now appears a bout will come next for the pair, providing the politics can be put to one side and a deal prepared.View Tweet: https://x.com/hashtag/GarciaBenn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwA clash between the pair would be one of boxing’s best and most intriguing fights right now.The blockbuster showdown could well land in 2027, with negotiations now likely to begin in the coming weeks.He could well first face Michael Cieslak in December, with the bout likely being eyed beforehand.Opetaia KO – how it happenedSo much noise had been in the build-up but Opetaia knew he needed a big performance against another champion of the division.Opetaia was marked to the left eye in some cagey opening stages, which swelled up in just the first round, despite starting well.The Australian was largely on top however, and in the fourth round Opetaia appeared to hurt the Armenian for the first time, landing some powerful work which bloodied his rival’s nose.View Tweet: https://x.com/jaiopetaia1?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwMikaelian remained in the contest and hurt his rival in shock fashion in the seventh, but didn’t have the stamina to put together any sustained attack to close the show.Opetaia recovered and bounced back, re-establishing his control and battering his rival in the ninth down, who was given a standing count after collapsing into the ropes.Mikaelian was on his feet, but was badly buzzed, and the referee called a halt to proceedings.It was a big left hand followed by a crushing right hook which left Mikaelian unable to continue, but thankfully no permanent damage was done.The Armenian put on a brave display, but ultimately it wasn’t enough against one of the current squared circle elite.Watch Boxing on DAZN*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenueSign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.Click here to sign up.