Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — David Benavidez systematically dismantled Anthony Yarde on Saturday night at ANB Arena, bloodied him, beat him down, dropped him in the seventh, and forced referee Hector Afu to wave it off at 1:59 of Round 7 in the “Ring IV: Night of the Champions” main event.
With the victory, Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) retained his WBC light heavyweight title and captured a vacant WBA belt, continuing his march toward an eventual 2026 showdown with Dmitry Bivol the man holding The Ring, IBF, WBA, and WBO belts.
And he did it in quintessential Benavidez fashion: pressure, punishment, and zero hesitation.
“He stepped into Monstruo’s world and he got KOd,” Benavidez told DAZN’s Claudia Trejos.
“When I signed this fight, I said it would be a war and that’s exactly what it was.”
Rounds 1–3: Yarde Competitive, but Benavidez Starts Building Pressure
Yarde (27-4, 24 KOs) came in ranked No. 4 by The Ring and carried his usual danger the same power that troubled Sergey Kovalev and Artur Beterbiev before both champions eventually stopped him.
Early on, he tried to keep Benavidez honest:
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Round 1: Yarde countered with a sharp right hand with about 50 seconds left.
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Round 2: Yarde briefly backed Benavidez off with a clean left hook.
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Round 3: Yarde landed enough right hands to make the champion think twice before fully unleashing.
But Benavidez also began to find his rhythm, pressing forward and landing two thudding rights late in Round 3. The momentum was shifting slowly, then suddenly.
Rounds 4–5: Benavidez Opens Up; Yarde Fights Back
The fourth round marked the start of Benavidez’s signature suffocation:
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Afu allowed Yarde to hold Benavidez’s right arm, but Benavidez still unloaded a 12-plus punch combination to close the frame.
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Yarde landed a few counters including a clean right but Benavidez’s volume and pressure were taking over.
Round 5 was more of the same:
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A right-hand-exchange early in the round saw both fighters connect.
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Yarde snuck in a right uppercut late, but Benavidez punished him with heavy shots and backed him into the ropes as the round closed.
Benavidez wasn’t just outboxing Yarde he was wearing him down.
Round 6: Blood Drawn and the Fight Breaks Open
Round 6 was the breaking point. Yarde came out aggressive, backing Benavidez into the ropes with a right hand. But once the fight returned to center ring, the champion flipped the switch. A punch from Benavidez bloodied Yarde’s nose badly. From there, Benavidez unloaded a vicious barrage of power shots, sensing the challenger was fading. As the bell sounded, Yarde’s face told the real story. Benavidez walked calmly to his corner, knowing the end was close.
Round 7: Benavidez Finishes the Job
Before the round began, referee Hector Afu had the ringside doctor examine Yarde due to the heavy bleeding. He was allowed to continue but that only prolonged the inevitable.
Less than a minute into the round:
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Benavidez hammered Yarde with head-and-body firepower.
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Yarde crumpled to the canvas.
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Benavidez mistakenly hit him once more while down, resulting in a one-point deduction.
But the punishment didn’t stop.
Afu allowed the fight to continue briefly, but Benavidez pinned Yarde against the ropes and went to work. With Yarde defenseless, Afu stepped in at 1:59, ending the one-sided demolition.
Benavidez Looks Ahead Bivol on the Horizon
Benavidez cemented his status as the No. 2 light heavyweight in the world, trailing only four-belt king Dmitry Bivol the fight he openly wants next.
“This is what I dreamed of a war,” Benavidez said.
“I cut, he cut we both went for it. But he can’t live in my world.”
Yarde, now 0-3 in world title opportunities, once again showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately couldn’t withstand sustained championship pressure.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
