David Benavidez says he wants to face Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol after challenging Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez for his WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles in the first quarter of 2026 on May 2.
WBC light heavyweight champion Benavidez says he prefers to face Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) because he holds the IBF, WBA and WBO 175-pound titles. Beating him would see Benavidez (31-0, 15 KOs) become the undisputed champion and move up in the pound-for-pound rankings.
Benavidez says he realizes that boxing fans would enjoy seeing him fight Artur Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) more because it would be a war. But he wants to capture the three titles held by Bivol. That may not happen soon or at all if Dmitri loses those belts in his trilogy against Beterbiev in early 2026.
If Benavidez can’t get one of those fights, he’d be better off staying at cruiserweight because the division lacks big names. At least by staying at cruiserweight, he can face Jai Opetaia, then move up to heavyweight. He has the size to compete in that weight class. Benavidez says he rehydrated in the 190s for his defense against Anthony Yarde (27-4, 24 KOs) last Saturday night on November 22nd.
Benavidez demolished Yarde with a seventh-round knockout in their head-to-head at Ring IV at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.
“At light heavyweight, it’s the only thing that makes sense, Bivol and Beterbiev. Then we’ll see who else,” David Benavidez told i.FL TV when asked who he wants to fight after challenging Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez for his WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles on May 2, 2026.
Bivol and Beterbiev are late in their careers. These are fights that Benavidez won’t receive much credit for if he wins against them. Bivol is 34 and is coming off back surgery last August. Beterbiev is 40 and has had injury problems since 2024.
“Just for the title standpoint, I’d say Bivol. But I think the fight that people will enjoy more is Beterbiev. I’m here for the fans. If I tell the fans that I’m going to war, that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Benavidez said of who he prefers to fight. “I want to be #1 pound-for-pound. I want to be in the same conversation as Usyk.”
It would be better if Benavidez skips the fights with Beterbiev, Bivol and Gilberto Ramirez to go after IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. It would be the better option if he wants to be seen in the same light as Usyk.
“I’m comfortable with taking punches. I didn’t think he hit hard at all,” Benavidez said of Anthony Yarde last Saturday night. “Yes, of course, if he had hit me with a clean blow, it would have been bad on my end. But I don’t think he hit hard.”
Benavidez was cut over his left eye and took punches from Yarde in the sixth round. He just let Yarde hit him with shots, so it wasn’t a surprise that he ended up with a cut. In Benavidez’s last fight against David Morrell on February 1, 2025, he looked like he was run over by a steamroller at the end. His face looked worse than Morrell’s, whom he beat by a 12-round unanimous decision.
Last updated on 24/11/2025
