David Benavidez put in one of the performances of the year when he dethroned unified cruiserweight world champion Gilberto Ramirez in May, and now ‘The Mexican Monster’ is set to face another world champion, with a November fight date being targeted.

Benavidez halted Ramirez in a dominant display upon his cruiserweight debut just two months ago, but despite prior intentions to return to light heavyweight during the aftermath, it has since become clear that Benavidez’s future is at 200lbs.

Still, an in-demand fight with Dmitry Bivol continues to be mentioned, but so does a potential cruiserweight match-up against Jai Opetaia, who has recently filed a lawsuit against the IBF after believing that the sanctioning body’s decision to strip him as champion was unfair. 

Avoiding those complications, Benavidez is instead targeting an alternate world title, with a November showdown against WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian now nearing a deal, as per BoxingScene.

The report states that the 29-year-old’s promoter says the fight is a done deal on their end, and they now await Mikaelian’s signature. It will likely end up in Las Vegas, though other locations have not been ruled out.

Mikaelian is a two-time WBC champion, first winning the belt with a third round stoppage win over Ilunga Makabu in November 2023. He controversially lost his title to Badou Jack in May 2025, before regaining it in their rematch seven months later.