David Benavidez delivered a statement performance by knocking out Gilberto Ramirez to capture the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles at T-Mobile Arena on May 2. Following the win, he immediately shifted focus to a long-awaited showdown with Canelo Alvarez.
After the fight, Benavidez called out Alvarez during his in-ring interview. The Mexican superstar was present at ringside earlier in the night to support Jaime Munguia, who fought on the undercard.
However, it remains unclear whether he stayed to watch Benavidez’s performance.
Benavidez questions Alvarez absence
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Benavidez addressed Alvarez’s presence at the venue and suggested that he may have left before his fight. He expressed clear frustration and took a direct shot, implying that his dominant display may have scared Alvarez.
He hinted that the Mexican star may have avoided seeing him at his best.
“It was a shame that Canelo wasn’t able to watch that fight there because I think I might have scared him away,” Benavidez said.
The newly crowned champion doubled down on his confidence while reflecting on his performance.
“I’m a bad dude, man. I’m a bad MF***er,” he added.
Benavidez also speculated on Alvarez’s movements during the event.
“I think he watched Munguia’s fight and then he just took off,” he said.
"It was a shame that Canelo wasn't able to watch that fight there because I think I might have scared him away… I'm a bad dude, man. I'm a bad MFer.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 5, 2026
I think he watched Mungia's fight and then he just took off… I think there's like a civil war between Mexicans and Mexican… pic.twitter.com/5T0BSRTvbn
Benavidez speaks on rivalry between Mexican and Mexican-American fighters
Beyond the potential fight itself, Benavidez touched on the broader narrative surrounding the matchup. He pointed to what he described as a rivalry between Mexican and Mexican-American fighters.
“I think there’s like a civil war between Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Everybody says I’m not Mexican,” he said.
Despite acknowledging the tension, Benavidez made it clear that he does not believe it should define the situation.
“There’s just a rivalry between us. At the end of the day, it shouldn’t even be like that.”
Benavidez emphasized that the focus should remain on delivering a fight that fans have demanded for years.
“We could just give the fans what they wanna see, give them a great fight,” he said.
Multiple options emerge for Benavidez as Alvarez fight remains uncertain
The matchup between Benavidez and Alvarez has long been one of the most talked-about fights in boxing. With Benavidez now holding titles in a new division, calls for the fight are only growing louder.
Meanwhile, it is reported that Alvarez is scheduled to take on Christian Mbilli for the latter’s WBC super middleweight title in September.
If not Alvarez, Benavidez has expressed the desire to fight Dmitry Bivol and Jai Opetaia.
That being said, Turki Alalshikh is interested in pushing ‘The Monster’ to heavyweight against all-time great Oleksandr Usyk.
In the meantime, Usyk is set to defend his WBC heavyweight title against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.
A lot of options have been opened for Benavidez; it remains to be seen who gets in the ring next.
