David Benavidez challenges for Gilberto Ramirez’s unified cruiserweight crown next weekend and should he pass that test, there is only one man on the mind of ‘The Mexican Monster’.
Benavidez has established himself as one of the most fan-friendly fighters in the sport, not only through his enthralling fight style but also because of his mentality to take on all comers and accept the most arduous challenges.
Having ruled at both super-middleweight and light-heavyweight, the reigning WBC 175lb champion is now stepping up to cruiserweight, hoping to hand ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez a second career defeat, in what will be the titleholder’s 50th career outing.
The only other man to have defeated Ramirez is unified light-heavyweight ruler, Dmitry Bivol, and in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Benavidez made it clear that he intends to move back down to light-heavyweight and take on the Russian next.
“I don’t want to make it seem like he is scared or nothing, but he knows what it is when it comes to David Benavidez. He has seen me up close and personal and I have seen him up close and personal, as well.
“He is a great fighter, we have had some great sparring sessions but he knows I am not coming to play. He knows that, when David Benavidez steps in that ring, all of those belts are leaving with David Benavidez.
“I think that he knows the dangers and the severity of this fight and that is why he took a tune-up fight first. I respect Dmitry Bivol, he is a great fighter, but he is definitely going to have to come see me after this fight.”
Whilst Benavidez fights next weekend, Bivol makes a mandatory defence of his titles against Germany’s Michael Eifert on Saturday, May 23, in what will be his first fight on home soil since 2021.
