Dream fight, Jai Opetaia vs. David Benavidez, who would take the win if they fought now?

Zurdo went life and death and vs a 39 y/o well past prime inactive Dorticos in his previous outing who hadn't fought anyone with even a faint pulse in 5 years and had only fought 3 x in that time and just 5 incomplete rounds in 5 years. He fought 3 bums in 5 years and had only fought x 1 in 2.5 years heading into the Zurdo fight and that was vs a SMW/LHW scrub

Dorticos did enough to come away with a draw in that fight IMO but even if you give it to Zurdo it could only be by 1 round

Zurdo wasn't in the best shape for that fight but he was certainly very wary of Dorticos' power and reach

Zurdo was much better vs CBS and Goulamirian but the later had been crazy inactive, even more so than Dorticos IIRC, and Zurdo was a bad stylistic match up for CBS and the later was handicapped by a broken hand and rib the later of which to be fair was caused by Zurdo

Jai would batter Zurdo

Benavidez vs Jai would be intriguing providing Benavidez can deal with CW power and a CW who is as skilled and powerful as Jai and we just don't know the answer to that question yet.

Zurdo could deal with CW power and like Benavidez he's a former gigantic 168 who was massive for 175 too and therefore when he moved up to CW, even though the gap between 168 and 175 is huge, he wasn't undersized at all for the weight.

You'd have to favour Jai though who despite his weak resume has elite skills and even vs an older/old Briedis answered the questions about his chin and heart and skills at the top level

Briedis hits like a truck, has an iron chin, elite skills, and is one of the most complete fighters in the sport and there's no way I see Benavidez beating even that version of him

 

Jai shattered Briedis' nostrils with a solitary punch and he shattered Squeo's mandible with one too

He stopped CW Jack Massey when J-Park couldn't put a dent in a much smaller Massey

He knocked out gigantic CW Jordan Thompson in 3 rounds who just gave HW prospect Pero a tough fight losing on points

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Flattened Zorro out cold in devastating fashion with a solitary shot. Has Benavidez ever done that to a British chin?

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You cats are disrespecting Jai. You always disrespecting us warriors from the rest of the world. You talk like we that ugly old mangy mad as a hatter chimpanzee at feeding time even when we look like male models and are rocking slick hair and bespoke suits

Let's see Benavidez up at CW first before we anoint him the king of the division

 

I wasn't alluding to you at all.

I'm taking about The Machine consisting of many cogs in that machine. A system of disrespect as opposed to any particular individual. They always disrespecting us. A system holding us down and not giving us our just due. But I'm that guy who isn't afraid to stand on business and speak truth to power. Everytime. Who not only doesn't fear standing up to and taking on the system but who actually relishes it and runs headfirst into the smoke with a big smile on his face

 

No question about it. We been blessed with that warrior gene, iron mandible, and wall breaking power