Two-time super-middleweight champion, David Benavidez, has signalled his intentions to move up to the light-heavyweight division and challenge the current WBA belt holder, Dmitry Bivol.
‘The Mexican Monster’ first claimed the 168lb WBC crown in 2017, where he defeated Ronald Gavril by split-decision. After later being stripped, Benavidez reclaimed the belt in 2019, knocking out Anthony Dirrell in the ninth-round.
The 26-year-old is aiming reign supreme in the division once again, consistently calling out the undisputed king at the weight, Canelo Alvarez, but to no avail as of yet.
Benavidez has now revealed his plans to do what Canelo couldn’t and get one over the undefeated light-heavyweight champion, Bivol, in a clash for the WBA title.
In an interview with ESNEWS, he spoke his confidence of beating the Russian, having sparred him in the past.
“I actually do want to fight [Beterbiev or Bivol], after I am done at 168[lbs], I’m going up to 175[lbs]. That is the first fight that I want, I want Bivol at 175.
I’m very excited, have you seen our sparring sessions? We had some great sparring sessions, he is a great dude and he is a great boxer, but I am very competitive.
I really want to be the best, when I was young and fat, everybody said that I wasn’t going to be nothing, that is where my fighting spirit comes from.”
It seems that Benavidez mights finally get his wish of a showdown with Canelo, after being installed as the WBC mandatory challenger. However, he must first overcome a fellow undefeated threat in the division, Demetrius Andrade, on November 25 in Las Vegas.