David Benavidez dominated and destroyed opponents at 168 pounds. At 175, he’s been winning just not the way fans are used to seeing. The unbeaten WBC light heavyweight champion (30-0, 24 KOs) has gone the distance in both of his fights at 175, earning competitive unanimous decisions over Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell. But ahead of his next title defense, Benavidez is predicting a violent return to form.
On Saturday in Saudi Arabia, Benavidez headlines “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” on DAZN PPV against big-punching Brit Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) and he’s not shy about his intentions.
“I’m trying to knock him out and hurt him. It’s going to be a great fight,” Benavidez told reporters. “Once I establish the jab, everything else is going to open up on its own. My opponents don’t block my body shots too well, so that is one of my keys. It’s going to be my job to mix it in there. I feel like my body shots are what’s going to cause the most damage.”
From KO Machine at 168 to Grind at 175
During his run at super middleweight, Benavidez built his reputation as one of boxing’s most destructive offensive fighters, with stoppage wins over:
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David Lemieux
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Caleb Plant
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Demetrius Andrade
At light heavyweight, the story has been different so far. In February, he was even dropped by Morrell in what was ruled a flash knockdown before getting up and walking the Cuban down to secure a decision.
Still, Benavidez is currently ranked No. 2 at 175 by The Ring, and he’s been angling for mega-fights with the division’s other elite names: Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev, and even cruiserweight champions Jai Opetaia and Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.
Instead, he gets Anthony Yarde, a dangerous, experienced puncher ranked No. 4 by The Ring at light heavyweight.
“This Is an Event I’m Going to Remember for the Rest of My Life”
Benavidez has embraced the stage and spotlight of Riyadh Season.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to fight for Riyadh Season,” he said. “I’m the main event on a fire card, and this is an event I am going to remember for the rest of my life. Hopefully, that can be a home for me too, and I can go back and forth fighting in the United States.”
His ambitions go well beyond just defending one belt.
“The No. 1 target is the belts and me beating the top five fighters at light heavyweight and cruiserweight. I’m trying to be the best version of myself and go down in history. I just want to prove to the people that I am the best in the world. I’ll go through whoever. It doesn’t matter to me.”
At 175, the knockouts haven’t come as easily as they once did. Against Yarde, David Benavidez is promising to change that with body shots leading the way.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
