David Benavidez gets ready to defend his new world title. The 28-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona, now holds the WBC world light-heavyweight belt and plans to fight in the next few months.
Benavidez got the title after Dmitry Bivol gave it up to fight Artur Beterbiev three times. Before that, Benavidez was the 'Interim' champion and next in line to fight Bivol. When Bivol left, the WBC made Benavidez the full champion right away.
Now, 'The Monster' Benavidez looks at who he'll fight first. He's thinking about Callum Smith or Anthony Yarde. Smith just had a great fight, beating Joshua Buatsi on February 22 to win the WBO 'Interim' light-heavyweight title. Before that, Smith tried to beat Artur Beterbiev in January 2024 but couldn't do it. Yarde also won his last fight in April, beating Lyndon Arthur for the third time.
Benavidez talked about his plans on the "Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry" show. He said:
"So right now we're thinking about either Callum Smith or Anthony Yarde, obviously those are the two top guys in that division."
He wants to fight Smith in the US. Benavidez thinks beating Smith will help him get closer to other big fights. He explained:
"We're thinking about making that fight [Callum Smith] here in the US and that's also going to put me one step closer to fighting these guys because I have the WBA interim, I'm the world champion [with the] WBC and then after I beat Callum Smith I'll have the WBO [Interim title]."
While Benavidez plans his next move, other things are happening in boxing. Smith and Yarde might fight each other. And Bivol and Beterbiev will have their third fight before the year ends.
Benavidez has a lot to look forward to. He just became a dad and now he's a world champion. His first title defense will be a big moment for him and for boxing fans.
