Artur Beterbiev was dismissive when asked about his thoughts on WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez’s seventh round knockout victory over Anthony Yarde last Saturday night at the Ring IV event in Riyadh.
Beterbiev’s cold response
Former 175-lb undisputed champion Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) let his followers know on X that he felt the Benavidez-Yarde fight was “nothing new” to him. He added that a fight between him and ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) would be “better.”
A clash between the 40-year-old Beterbiev and Benavidez will be an exciting one for the fans. It would be a different kind of competition than Artur has faced in his last two fights against speedy boxer Dmitry Bivol, who is more of a cat and mouse kind of business. Beterbiev was forced to chase Bivol around the ring in both fights.
All you ask me about Benavidez-Yarde. I saw it. Nothing new to me. The two of us could have something better, couldn’t we?
— Artur Beterbiev (@ABeterbiev) 24 November 2025
“Nothing new” Explain
Last Saturday night’s fight between ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez and Yarde (27-4, 24 KOs) was a disappointment for fans as it was too one sided from the start.
Unlike Benavidez’s last fight against David Morrell, there was no drama involved as Yarde took the entire seven-round bout. It was considered a poor fight from the moment it was signed, as Yarde failed every time he fought for world titles.
Benavidez’s complaints after the fight
After the bout, Benavidez lamented at the press conference about how difficult it is for him to get the top fighters to face him. He sounded like he was feeling sorry for himself. Interestingly, he did not mention Artur Beterbiev or Jai Opetaia.
If he had been assertive by calling out these two dangerous punchers instead of complaining, he would have had a more positive message to the fans. The two main fighters that Benavidez has called out non-stop are Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol.
Beterbiev was waiting to finish his trilogy match against Dmitri Bivol. They were supposed to fight in November 2025, but Bivol had back surgery last August and is still recovering. They are expected to meet in the first quarter of 2026.
Artur was scheduled to fight Deon Nicholson on the Ring IV card last Saturday night in Riyadh, but he suffered an injury and had to pull out.
Why Zurdo doesn’t move the needle
Benavidez (28) has already announced his next fight against WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez on May 2, 2026 in Las Vegas. His announcement failed to generate the kind of excitement he expected from fans.
Fans are questioning why Benavidez chose to fight Zurdo, who has looked unexceptional in his last two fights against Yuniel Dorticos, 39, and Chris Billiam-Smith, rather than IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) has been closely matched throughout his 16-year professional career and has failed to become a star despite his illustrious record.
Last updated on 24/11/2025
