David Benavidez says he wasn’t impressed with Dmitry Bivol when he spared him in the last. He states that he hurt him.
WBC light heavyweight champion Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) says he hopes he can get a fight against 34-year-old Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) or Artur Beterbiev, as he feels they are both coming off their prime.
Benavidez next defends his WBC title against Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He says he was not told he would get the chance to fight IBF, WBA and WBO champion Bivol or Beterbiev after they met for their trilogy.
‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez does believe that he will eventually get the opportunity to face them sooner or later. Given their injury problems and advanced ages, he may not get the chance. Bivol and Beterbiev are already rich from two fights, both of which reportedly paid $10 million each.
Bivol’s style does not impress
“I didn’t go in there thinking I’m really impressed with what he’s doing. He moves around a lot, he keeps his distance, uses his jab, and he’s got a good one-two,” David Benavidez said. Boxing News when asked what his thoughts were on his conversation with Dmitri Bivol.
The sparring session Benavidez had with Bivol was eight years ago, when he was 22. At this point, a fight between them would probably be a very different situation due to the size he is packed at and his maturity. Bivol didn’t look that good in either of his two fights with Beterbiev. Those performances showed that he struggles when put under pressure.
“I’m not really impressed with him. I know he’s a good fighter,” Benavidez said of Bivol. “When I’m in with a good fighter, I go to the next level myself. I don’t treat sparring like sparring sessions. I treat them like real fights. Anything can happen at any given moment.”
Benavidez took a lot of beating in his last fight against David Morrell on February 1, 2025. The fight showed that he is not the same steel-legged fighter he was at 168. Morrell hurt Benavidez in rounds two and four. He dropped him in round eleven.
Aging competitors, rising monster
“These guys are coming out of their prime,” Benavidez said of Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. “I’m stepping into my prime. If it doesn’t happen now, it will happen later. I think Beterbiev will be a more fan friendly fighter. It would be a tougher battle. Beterbiev is more of a rugged, in-your-face type. Bivol is more one has to go and hunt him.”
Of the two, Benavidez might have a better chance of getting a fight against Beterbiev as he is fearless and won’t hesitate to take him on after he finishes his trilogy fight against Bivol.
Last updated on 11/04/2025
