Canelo Gives Surprising Take on Benavidez's Light Heavyweight Move: "He's Not Ready"

David Benavidez has moved up to the light-heavyweight division. The two-time super-middleweight champion made his debut at 175 pounds on June 15, facing Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

Benavidez got tired of chasing a fight with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez. He was the mandatory challenger for Canelo's super-middleweight titles, but the Mexican champion didn't show much interest in the matchup.

In his first light-heavyweight bout, Benavidez won a unanimous decision against Gvozdyk after 12 rounds. He out-landed his opponent considerably and never looked in danger. However, he didn't threaten to finish the fight early.

Canelo wasn't impressed with Benavidez's performance at the new weight.

"Look, it's his weight class. 175 is his weight class, and he do nothing at 175, really. He's not the same."

Some boxing experts agreed that Benavidez didn't look as dominant as he usually does. They noticed that Gvozdyk seemed in better shape after the final bell compared to Benavidez's super-middleweight opponents.

Benavidez's team argues this was just his first step up in weight. They expect improvements to come and point out that Gvozdyk is a tough opponent.

The 27-year-old Benavidez will need a spectacular performance to get a shot at the undisputed light-heavyweight title. Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev will fight for that honor on October 12 in Riyadh.

Meanwhile, Canelo is set to defend his super-middleweight titles against Edgar Berlanga on September 14. The prospect of a fight with Benavidez isn't getting any closer. Canelo still wants at least $150 million to consider it.