Talk of a David Benavidez vs. Oleksandr Usyk showdown resurfaced after Usyk vacated his world heavyweight titles and announced plans for one final fight before retirement. It’s an intriguing fantasy matchup, but Benavidez’s own comments suggest it’s unlikely to happen.
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It comes down to a mixture of strict financial calculations and a total lack of that bounce-back, old-school confidence.
If you take a close look at where his career is headed right now, some major roadblocks are keeping him from taking that massive leap.
The comfort of the Cruiserweight Cash Cow
Benavidez just captured the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles by knocking out Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in six rounds in May. He’s found a comfortable home at 200 pounds where his power translates perfectly, and now there’s talk of him fighting Noel Mikaelian next. He built an extremely profitable safety net at cruiserweight. Why risk being completely dismantled by a master technician like Usyk when he can just stay where he is, collect belts against flawed cruiserweights and make massive paydays with minimal risk?
“I don’t want to fight Usyk right now. It’s not realistic because I’m not going up to heavyweight for my next fight, or even the one after that,” Benavidez said. Facebook. “You have to respect the weight classes and give your body time to adjust. At heavyweight, you could be facing someone close to seven feet tall and close to 280 pounds. You have to be fully prepared for that kind of challenge.”
Benavidez lets the cat out of the bag with his own commentary. He specifically mentioned the fear of facing guys who are nearly seven feet tall and 280 pounds. It tells you everything about his current mindset. He views the heavyweight division as an impossible physical mountain instead of seeing the immediate, golden opportunity right in front of him. He treats the weight class change like a science project that requires years of physical adaptation, ignoring the fact that Usyk is an undersized, 39-year-old heavyweight who was just pushed to the absolute brink by a kickboxer.
He still holds on to his WBC light heavyweight title and hopes the massive undisputed fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitri Bivol will finally clear up. Beterbiev is already talking about needing a third fight with Bivol, which means the division is completely locked up. Instead of realizing he’s wasting precious time waiting for older champions to hook the brackets, Benavidez is content to sit on the sidelines and wait his turn in line.
The missing all-in instinct
True greatness requires an absolute disregard for safety. In the past, fighters would jump multiple divisions the second a legendary opportunity presented itself. Benavidez has all the physical tools, the relentless pressure and the youth to give Usyk nightmares, especially after Rico Verhoeven laid bare the blueprint for beating him. But Benavidez simply lacks that ultimate gambler’s instinct. He would rather protect his undefeated record and manage his career like a careful businessman than risk it all for a historical legacy.
At 39, Usyk has repeatedly talked about one “last dance” before he retires. If true, Benavidez’s cautious approach will almost certainly have him watching from the sidelines while someone else gets the opportunity.
Benavidez completely lacks that bounce-back, risk-taking mindset that creates true legends. His comments are filled with standard, overcautious excuses about respecting weight classes and needing years to adjust his body. If you want greatness, you take the leap when the opportunity is in your face.
Look what just happened in Egypt. Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxer with basically no pro boxing experience, just went out there and completely exposed Usyk. Verhoeven was on the scorecards and made Usyk look completely ordinary until that highly controversial referee stoppage with one second left in the 11th round saved Usyk’s undefeated record.
If a kickboxer can do that to Usyk now, a young, relentless pressure fighter like Benavidez will have a great chance to completely dismantle him.
Instead, Benavidez wants to stay in his comfort zone and talks about taking his time, while Usyk is expressly planning his last career fight in the United States before he retires. By the time Benavidez feels his body is “fully prepared,” Usyk will be long gone.
This is a glaring missed opportunity. Benavidez would rather play it safe against older, smaller light heavyweights like Bivol and Beterbiev or pick up belts against flawed cruiserweights instead of chasing a history-making fight. If he lets this window close, he’s going to spend the rest of his career wondering what would have happened if he’d actually had the nerve to act.
Last updated on 2026/06/27 at 17:59
