After David Benavidez’s stellar debut in the cruiserweight ranks this year, some in the sport started to believe that he could handle a heavyweight move immediately.
Though he can still make 175 and may intend to drop back down in the future, Benavidez was quickly linked to some intriguing heavyweight fights.
Speaking to Luis Parra, he was asked directly about challenging Oleksandr Usyk, widely regarded as the best in the division, after boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh publicly expressed his desire to see it.
“[Alalshikh] didn’t talk to me directly, [but] he was talking to the people around me and said he wanted to make that fight. But honestly, I have a lot of respect for Usyk, and I’m not ready for that right now. If he came down to cruiserweight, then yeah, we could fight at cruiserweight. But I’m not moving up.”
Despite that sentiment, it has been revealed this week by Ricardo Celis that Jose Benavidez Sr, father and trainer of David, contacted Alalshikh directly trying to make the fight against the great Ukrainian.
🚨 USYK vs DAVID BENAVIDEZ IN PLAY FOR CINCO DE MAYO 2027?
BENAVIDEZ SR REVEALS PRIVATE TURKI MESSAGES | DEMANDS USYK FIGHT FOR CINCO DE MAYO!
David Benavidez’s father shows messages sent directly to Turki Alalshikh as Team Benavidez push for David Benavidez vs Oleksandr Usyk… pic.twitter.com/iyXFOFZec4
— Boxing King Media (@boxingkingmedia) August 23, 2026
Usyk, once undisputed at cruiserweight and twice at heavyweight, recently vacated his unified titles alongside an announcement that he would have just one more fight before hanging up the gloves. He has since been strongly linked with former WBC champion Deontay Wilder.
Given that the 39-year-old pound-for-pound star wants Wilder’s name on his resume since the American was part of his generation of heavyweights, it seems unlikely that he is going to be the man to welcome Benavidez to the heavyweight ranks.
Instead, Benavidez is expected to face Michal Cieslak this December, perhaps for a vacant WBC belt, before pursuing Opetaia.
