Benavidez, nicknamed "El Monstruo," moved up to the 175lbs division after he couldn't secure a fight with Canelo Alvarez at super-middleweight. He quickly made his mark in the new weight class, winning the WBC Interim belt against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and the WBA Regular strap from David Morrell.
On April 7, Benavidez got upgraded to full WBC champion when Dmitry Bivol vacated the belt to pursue a trilogy bout with Artur Beterbiev. The new champ made it clear he wanted to earn his title in the ring, saying he "did not want to win the belt without throwing a punch." He also promised fans he'd "continue to deliver some of the best match-ups in the sport."
Anthony Yarde, the 33-year-old challenger, brings a record of 27-3 with 24 knockouts, showing off his impressive 88% KO ratio. He's riding a four-fight winning streak, with his most recent victory coming in a gritty unanimous decision over Lyndon Arthur. That fight, which wrapped up their trilogy, took place on April 26 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. While Yarde won, many fans and analysts found the bout a bit dull.
Yarde's previous shot at a world title ended in a loss to Sergey Kovalev. Now ranked third with the WBC, he's gotten another chance at glory.
The fight announcement came from an unexpected source. Riyadh Season's Turki Alalshikh broke the news, revealing that Benavidez chose Yarde over second-ranked Callum Smith for his first defense.
The November card looks set to feature more action, with Devin Haney expected to face welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr in the main event. As the date gets closer, fans can look forward to what promises to be an exciting night of boxing.