It will be a battle of two Davids on May 21 as Benavidez and Lemieux face-off at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Unbeaten Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) will have home advantage against the Canadian for the vacant WBC Interim super-middleweight belt.
The fight will represent a 2022 debut for both men having had three fights between them last year. Benavidez v Lemieux will arrive two weeks after undisputed 168lbs ruler Canelo Alvarez moves up to light-heavyweight to tackle Dmitry Bivol for the WBA title. Whoever comes out on top in Arizona will be in a good position for a shot at the Mexican in 2023.
“I’m excited to be fighting for another belt, and I’m training extremely hard because it is another big opportunity for my career and future,” said Benavídez. “David Lemieux still has a lot of power, so I have to make sure I sharpen all my skills 100 percent. I’m confident I can stop Lemieux and I’m planning on giving my fans another great fight on May 21.”
Thirty-three-year-old Lemieux (43-4, 36 KOs) is nearing 50 fights in a career that began in April 2007.
The former IBF middleweight champion has only lost once since May 2016 and has his hopes set on claiming the green and gold prize.
“Ever since I turned professional, I’ve had my eyes on the WBC belt,” said Lemieux. “This is my chance to grasp it. This is a very important fight for me and I plan on making a strong statement on May 21. I’m coming to win.”
The co-main event comes in the super-welterweight division as unbeaten southpaw Yoelvis Gómez (5-0, 5 KOs) takes on Jorge Cota (30-5, 27 KOs).