Benavidez Sr Calls For Jai Opetaia Fight In May

Jose Benavidez Sr. has called for David Benavidez to face Jai Opetaia in May 2027, giving the clearest signal yet that his son’s camp is willing to meet the former IBF cruiserweight champion.

“Let’s give the people what they want! May- Benavidez vs. Opetaia,” Jose Sr. posted on Instagram.

An Instagram callout does not mean negotiations have begun, but this one carries some weight. Jose Sr. trains his son and has played a major role in directing his career. Naming Opetaia and proposing a month goes beyond another general claim that David will face anybody.

The post also represents a change in Jose Sr.’s position. He previously dismissed Opetaia as someone who “gets hurt in every fight” against little-known opposition and said facing him would be “like taking a tune-up.” Calling for the matchup now suggests Team Benavidez recognizes that Opetaia is the cruiserweight opponent fans most want David to meet.

David Benavidez has denied being afraid of Opetaia, yet his comments helped create the opposite impression. He argued that Gilberto Ramirez made greater business sense, questioned the Australian’s drawing power, and placed their potential fight one or two years away.

After stopping Ramirez on May 2, 2026, Benavidez again named Opetaia as the division’s biggest fight. However, he objected to Opetaia joining Zuffa Boxing and said he would not go there to compete for a Zuffa title. That promotional separation remains the largest obstacle.

The May 2027 proposal weakens the argument that Team Benavidez wants no part of Opetaia, but it does not eliminate it. David must first defeat Michal Cieslak on December 12, 2026, and both sides would then need to overcome the divide between their promoters.

If the camp genuinely pursues Opetaia afterward, Jose Sr.’s post will have been an early declaration of intent. If another opponent is selected, it will look more like social-media positioning designed to answer criticism.

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