“I think it will be in the future, once I can move up to 175 pounds. Right now I feel really good at 168, and I’m going to be here for a while,” Munguia told Fight Hub TV when asked about Benavidez as a possible opponent.
Later in the interview, Munguia was asked which name at 168 would be the most profitable. He pointed directly at Benavidez.
“Without a doubt, the most profitable and biggest name will be David,” Munguia said.
The commentary shows that Benavidez remains a big target for fighters around the super middleweight scene because of his profile and pulling power. Munguia, meanwhile, continues to rebuild his standing in the division and put himself back among the biggest fights available.
Benavidez fights Zurdo Ramirez for the Cruiserweight titles this Saturday. He’s looking for legacies in weight classes that Munguia won’t touch for years. Unless Munguia takes a big risk and fights one of the top fighters at 168 like Osleys Iglesias or Christian Mbilli, Benavidez has no reason to look back.
It is doubtful that David Benavidez ever sees 168 lbs again. He spent years outgrowing the division, and his current trajectory is heading in the opposite direction.
Any future meeting will depend on both fighters continuing to win and operating in the same weight class, but Munguia has made it clear that Benavidez is still one of the names he wants most.
If Munguia gets past Armando Resendiz this Saturday, May 2, WBA mandatory Bektemir Melikuziev is next up. The odds of Munguia losing to Melikuziev are dangerously high, which is exactly why it seems strange to hear him talk about fighting Benavidez.
