David Benavidez is on the brink of an exciting showdown against a formidable undefeated champion known for his impressive 80% knockout ratio. His father and trainer, Jose Benavidez Sr., has confidently stated that a match with this powerful world champion is "guaranteed" to happen soon.
In November, the 29-year-old Benavidez showcased his strength by delivering a dramatic seventh-round stoppage against Anthony Yarde, marking his first successful defense of the WBC light-heavyweight title. Before this, he achieved convincing victories through unanimous decisions against notable fighters like David Morrell and Oleksandr Gvozdyk, both in the 175-pound category, after shifting up from super-middleweight.
Following his triumph over Yarde, it appears that Benavidez has positioned himself as a top contender for a matchup against Gilberto Ramirez, the unified cruiserweight champion, expected to take place this coming May. While the official announcement for this highly anticipated fight is still pending, Benavidez has already laid out ambitious plans to ascend to the 200-pound weight class and subsequently challenge either Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev in the light-heavyweight division.
Bivol, a unified world champion, is also slated to return to the ring later this year, likely facing IBF mandatory challenger Michael Eifert after claiming a majority decision victory over Beterbiev in February 2025.
However, while Benavidez keeps his sights firmly set on Ramirez, Bivol, and Beterbiev, he may also find himself in the ring with IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia in the future. In a recent interview with MillCity Boxing, Jose Benavidez expressed his respect for Opetaia as a worthy opponent but cast doubt on whether Opetaia poses a greater threat than established champions Beterbiev or Bivol. He stated, "I don't think Opetaia's more dangerous than Beterbiev or Bivol, but that's a fighter we'd be interested in fighting.
He’s a solid fighter, similar to what I would say about Morrell, Anthony Yarde, and 'Boo Boo' [Demetrius Andrade]. However, my concern is that he lacks the depth of experience. In his previous bouts, he has faced challenges where he got hurt or stumbled. I don’t believe he possesses the level of experience compared to those other contenders. I can assure you that we will eventually face him. But I have to ask: do you think he is better than Beterbiev or Bivol?"
Although Opetaia has managed to outpoint Mairis Briedis in two separate encounters, he has yet to battle any opponent who has truly made a mark at the world championship level. However, this scenario could evolve rapidly, especially if Zuffa Boxing, Opetaia's new promoter, can secure an undisputed cruiserweight title fight in the near future.
