“I don’t know why he went to Zuffa. I’m not gonna go over there and fight for a Zuffa title,” Benavidez said when asked about a possible bout with Opetaia. “I think Dana White has shown he doesn’t wanna do fights with PBC, DAZN. If we can come to an agreement, make a big fight, let’s do it.”
The obstructionist label is sticking to Benavidez because the Zuffa excuse feels like a convenient shield. In boxing, whenever a fighter starts talking about “networks,” “platforms,” or “promotional lanes” instead of “training camps,” fans usually smell a duck.
The message from ‘The Mexican Monster’ at the post-fight press conference last night sounded defensive. Benavidez has spent years calling out Canelo for “hiding” behind demands; now that he’s at cruiserweight with Jai targeting him, he’s the one setting the conditions.
If Benavidez truly believes he is the best in the world, the platform shouldn’t be the dealbreaker. By drawing a line at the Zuffa structure, he’s basically saying he’d rather keep his PBC/DAZN comfort zone than risk his unbeaten record against the most dangerous man, Opetaia, in the division.
Opetaia moved into the new promotional lane earlier this year, winning the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight title after leaving the IBF belt behind. The move created a split between that route and the existing sanctioning-body system tied to promoters like PBC and platforms such as DAZN.
The timeline on X is absolutely lighting him up right now. The term “Mexican Monster” is being replaced by “Mexican Marathon Runner” in some of the harsher threads, as fans aren’t buying the corporate red tape excuse for a second.
There is a massive sense of irony being pointed out: Benavidez spent years acting as the “people’s champion,” torching Canelo Alvarez for using promotional hurdles to avoid their fight. Now that he’s the one holding the belts and facing a terrifying threat in Jai Opetaia, he’s using the exact same playbook.