David Benavidez finally got the signature victory at cruiserweight that eluded him at 175, but his promoter says the focus has already shifted to a fight with unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
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Benavidez stopped Gilberto Ramirez last Saturday to capture the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles while retaining his WBC light heavyweight belt. The win added another big name to Benavidez’s recent run after wins over David Morrell, Demetrius Andrade and Caleb Plant.
Benavidez pointed to Bivol immediately after the fight, and promoter Sampson Lewkowicz says that remains the target.
“The fight we want to go to is Bivol. That’s what David wants,” Lewkowicz told BoxingScene.
Bivol returns to action on May 30 against Michael Eifert in his first appearance since defeating Artur Beterbiev in their rematch last year. If Bivol retains his titles and Benavidez remains undefeated, the bout could become a battle for the undisputed light heavyweight championship.
However, Lewkowicz made it clear that Benavidez’s team has no intention of repeating the years-long struggle they previously went through to try and secure a fight with Canelo Alvarez.
Benavidez spent years chasing Alvarez at super middleweight before finally moving up to 175 pounds in 2024, defeating Oleksandr Gvozdyk in his debut at the weight. Since then, his performances at light heavyweight and cruiserweight have cemented his reputation as one of boxing’s most aggressive pushers.
“He won’t wait for nothing like (he did for) Canelo; now he has his own legacy,” Lewkowicz said. “I believe Bivol is hopefully not another Canelo, but you never know.”
The 29-year-old Benavidez has become one of the sport’s biggest action attractions with his high-volume offense, hand speed and durability, which has carried over successfully into heavier divisions. A fight against Bivol would give him a chance to add the remaining main belts at 175 pounds after being locked out of the Alvarez fight for years.
Last updated on 2026/05/08 at 20:43
