Artur Beterbiev will win against David Benavidez, according to super-middleweight contender Lionell Thompson. Thompson, who has sparred with both fighters, believes Beterbiev's power will be too much for Benavidez to handle.
Beterbiev recently became the undisputed light heavyweight champion after beating Dmitry Bivol in Saudi Arabia. The judges scored the fight 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112 in Beterbiev's favor. This victory has set the stage for a potential clash with Benavidez, who recently moved up to 175lbs and won the WBC interim light heavyweight title by defeating Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
Thompson, also known as "Lonnie B," shared his thoughts on the potential matchup in an interview:
"I'm still going with Beterbiev. I think with Artur's strength and power, he hits anybody they'll be like 'whoa let me be more strategic.'"
The super-middleweight contender emphasized Beterbiev's exceptional power, describing it as "retirement pop." He explained that while Benavidez is physically larger, he hasn't faced the kind of power Beterbiev possesses.
"David is really much bigger than Bivol. He's really a cruiserweight that makes the weight, but he hasn't been hit as hard. Artur has got retirement pop, so I'm still going with Artur."
Fans have already started to speculate about the outcome of this potential fight. However, before any showdown with Beterbiev, Benavidez has a fight scheduled for January against David Morrell.
The boxing world will watch closely as these events unfold, with Beterbiev's newly acquired undisputed status and Benavidez's recent move to light heavyweight adding extra intrigue to the potential matchup.
