Benavidez drained while Yarde stands ready to punish in Riyadh

WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez says he will be ready for “war” if that’s what Anthony Yarde prefers to make it Saturday night in their headliner at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Skeleton at 175

Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) need not worry “as” Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) will make it a war because that’s the only way he fights. He knows no other way. With Benavidez’s lean, haggard, starved appearance today, it wouldn’t be a good idea for him to stand and trade on Saturday night.

Morrell war still in his eyes

Benavidez has never looked this bad making weight. This suggests that he put on weight with a victory lap after his victory over David Morrell on February 1, 2025. If he had kept his weight down and stayed in the gym, he would not have struggled this week and was down to 175.

We don’t know how Benavidez’s chin will handle the big punches from Yarde. He faced Morrell and was hurt twice by head shots from the mighty Cuban. Yarde hits at least as hard as Morrell. If he has a drained skeleton in front of him and is still feeling the after-effects of 12 hard rounds against the Cuban powerhouse, we could see an upset on Saturday night.

Yarde smells opportunity

Can you call it an upset? It is more about nature’s survival of the fittest. When you get a lion that has had recent wars, they are susceptible to having their pride taken away by a fresher one of their own.

“I like to make my fights a war. I like to give the people fights they want to see. This fight is going to live up to the moment,” a drained WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez said on Thursday’s final press conference for his battle against Anthony Yarde this Saturday night.

Benavidez never learns

Benavidez boasted this week that he will box and fight smarter this Saturday. Now he talks about going to war. Will he ever learn?

“This is the hardest I’ve trained for any of my fights. I’m going to go in there and give you guys a war. I’m ready to dominate. Whatever happens, I’m ready for whatever. If it’s going to turn into a war, then I’m going to turn it into a war,” Benavidez said.

“I get Benavidez. Everybody says, ‘He’s a monster. Don’t fight this guy.’ I said, ‘Give me this guy, I’ll fight him,'” Anthony Yarde said. “The better the fighter, the better the reward.”