David Benavidez says the reason he’s fighting Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez comes down to timing, not preference, because the fight he wanted with Dmitry Bivol wasn’t available and he wasn’t willing to sit on the sidelines.
Benavidez explained that he was interested in facing Bivol at light heavyweight, but with Bivol planning an adjustment, he chose not to wait and instead move forward with a title fight at cruiserweight. Rather than stay at 175 and defend his belt in what he described as a “regular fight,” he saw the Ramirez bout as a better use of his time.
Benavidez (29) must now win his fight against WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Ramirez on May 2 and hope that Bivol is not beaten in his title defense against #1 IBF contender Michael Eifert. Watching Benavidez face Eifert for the IBF, WBA and WBO belts will be far less appealing to fans than watching Bivol.
“My main focus is to make history, become one of the greatest of all time, and also have the greatest fights available,” Benavidez said. “I’m coming back to light heavyweight, you know, I don’t want anyone to misunderstand that I’m staying at cruiserweight. Of course if good opportunities present themselves, we’ll stay here a little longer, but I thought just because, Dmitry Bivol, he’s going to do a makeover fight, and just wait for me and defend my title and get a good idea, I’ll put up a good challenge. Ramirez for his two titles.”
The 28-year-old made it clear that the increase in weight was not a long-term change, but a decision related to what was available at the moment. His focus remains on returning to light heavyweight, where he continues to target fights with Bivol and Artur Beterbiev as those options open up.
Benavidez chooses activity over waiting, taking a fight that offers immediate stakes rather than staying put for a bout that isn’t ready yet.
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Last updated on 2026/03/18 at 18:29
