If David Benavidez is to become the number one fighter at light-heavyweight, he will likely have to beat Dmitry Bivol. But can he?
A potential clash between Bivol and Benavidez, 30-0 (24 KOs), remains some way off but could edge closer if Benavidez successfully defends his WBC light-heavyweight title against Anthony Yarde on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The title was one which Bivol vacated to avoid facing his mandatory challenger – Benavidez.
The light heavyweight stars are two of the biggest names in the sport, and one man who that also applied to during his own iconic career is former six-weight world champion Oscar De La Hoya.
The Golden Boy promoter has weighed in on the potential Bivol and Benavidez showdown, and couldn’t help but let out a “wow” when speaking to Fight Hub TV about the matchup.
“Wow… That’s a tough one. I would go with Benavidez because he’s more active, throws more punches, and has better footwork than [Artur] Beterbiev. He’s smarter up there, knows how to think, and how to adjust. I would favour Benavidez.”
Fights against Bivol, 24-1 (12 KOs), and Beterbiev, 21-1 (20 KOs), would define Benavidez’s legacy. The two Russians currently hold one win apiece over each other, though a third meeting is on hold while Bivol recovers from recent back surgery.
Should “The Mexican Monster” retain his title against Yarde, he may well call for a showdown with either of the former undisputed light-heavyweight champions.
It seems De La Hoya could be in favour of another option, as he recently revealed he would like to see Benavidez move to cruiserweight to take on his unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.
