David Benavidez, known as "The Mexican Monster," has made a bold claim about his boxing prowess. The undefeated fighter with a record of 29-0 and 24 knockouts believes there's only one man who could potentially beat him: Oleksandr Usyk.
Benavidez recently captured the interim WBC light-heavyweight belt in his 175lb debut. He won a unanimous decision victory over Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June. This win adds to his impressive resume, which includes two stints as WBC super-middleweight champion at 168lbs. In that weight class, he notched notable wins against Caleb Plant, David Lemieux, and Anthony Dirrell.
Despite his success, Benavidez missed out on a highly anticipated showdown with Canelo Alvarez. He had campaigned for years to face the Mexican superstar, but the fight never materialized.
Now, Benavidez has his sights set on new challenges. He said:
"To be honest with you I have to deal with these monsters in this weight class first."
His next fight is scheduled for February against David Morrell, the WBA regular light-heavyweight champion. A victory could lead to fights with Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol, further cementing his status in the division.
When asked about potential future matchups, Benavidez showed a rare moment of humility. He admitted:
"Usyk? I don't think I have enough experience to go up against Usyk. I'm just being 100% honest, but like you say never say never!"
This statement suggests that while Benavidez isn't ruling out a move to cruiserweight in the future, he's aware of the challenges it would present. A fight with Usyk at that weight could offer a historic world title shot, especially if Usyk decides to move back down from heavyweight.
For now, Benavidez's focus remains on dominating the light-heavyweight division. His power, skill, and confidence have made him one of boxing's most fearsome punchers, and fans will be eager to see how he fares against the top competition in his new weight class.
