Jai Opetaia is a scary man but there's something about that overarching fear that David Benavidez loves.

So far, 2025 has been incredibly kind to him. With six months remaining, the 29-year-old has already grabbed two stoppage victories, one against David Nyika and the other last weekend beyond Claudio Squeo. Both were spectacular - the latter was supremely violent.

His Aussie fans stood on their feet and roared as Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) defended his Ring and IBF titles via fifth-round stoppage. Like most of his matchups, Opetaia dominates. And, to no one's surprise, he called out Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez immediately after.

Currently though, it may not be realistic. Having unified WBA/WBO titles with a gruelling 12-round decision win over former champion Chris Billam-Smith in November, Ramirez returns with a June 28 date lined up with former champion Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs).

The dance floor can get a bit lonely without a partner. However, there aren't many cruiserweights in the world willing to jump in there with him. That said, Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) has apparently been keeping tabs on him. Their weight classes might be separated by 25 pounds, but the WBC light-heavyweight champion isn't exactly concerned about it.

Benavidez has been surly as of late. He's had his fair share of big fights but also believes he should've gotten a few more. A matchup with Canelo Alvarez never fell into his lap. Also, showdowns against Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev don't have any legs to stand on.

As his options dwindle to almost nothing, Benavidez is starting to look at the 175-pound division with the same frustration he did when campaigning at 168-pounds. If Alvarez, Bivol and Beterbiev opt for different directions, a name like Callum Smith makes sense.

His choices aren't the best, leading to Benavidez thinking outside the box. When Opetaia recently steamrolled his man, Benavidez cheered loudly. Moving up to the cruiserweight division might feel a bit premature, but if a matchup with Opetaia can become a reality, Benavidez is all for making it happen.

"Let's make this fight happen," Benavidez wrote on his social media account.