David Benavidez announced his move to the cruiserweight division on Saturday night and has now revealed whether or not his days at light heavyweight are completely behind him.
Benavidez retained his WBC title and unbeaten record against Anthony Yarde, knocking out the Londoner after seven dominant rounds in Riyadh.
After the victory, despite links to an undisputed showdown against Dmitry Bivol, or a potential firefight with Artur Beterbiev, Benavidez made the surprise announcement that he would move up to the cruiserweight division and challenge Gilberto Ramirez for the WBA and WBO world titles in May.
However, during the post-fight press conference, he reaffirmed his interest in a clash with both Russians and said he would be willing to drop down to 175 pounds for a fight with either man.
“I want to be the double champion. I want to be the champion in both weight classes. Terence Crawford is doing it right now, but I don’t know how many other people are doing it.
“I want to be in the same conversations as those guys, but I’m definitely going to go down to 175 and fight with those guys. [Bivol and Beterbiev] if it is available.
Bivol and Beterbiev could face off in a trilogy fight in early 2026, meaning Benavidez could face the winner in the second half of the calendar year.
However, Bivol himself has spoken about a move to cruiserweight in the past. Thus, a highly anticipated meeting with Benavidez could potentially take place at 200 pounds, especially if the latter manages to dethrone Ramirez in six months.
