David Benavidez is on a mission to land big fights in the light heavyweight division. The boxer has set his sights on facing top opponents like Canelo Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol, and Artur Beterbiev.
For years, Benavidez tried to get a fight with Canelo. When that didn't work out, he moved up in weight. Now, he's after Dmitry Bivol. Benavidez became the WBC mandatory challenger after Bivol beat Beterbiev in their rematch for the undisputed title.
Benavidez's win over David Morrell put him as the WBA's number one contender for Bivol's title. But things got complicated when Turki Alalshikh, an Arab sheikh and boxing promoter, showed more interest in a trilogy fight, likely between Bivol and Beterbiev.
To make matters worse, Bivol gave up his WBC belt, seemingly to avoid fighting Benavidez. He wanted a rematch with Beterbiev instead. Then Bivol had back surgery, which pushed back any fight plans.
Right now, Benavidez holds the WBC title. He's set to fight Anthony Yarde on November 22 in Riyadh. In a chat with Fight Hype, Benavidez said:
"I'll probably have to choose the hardest option for any fighter, because on this side is Beterbiev, there's Bivol, and maybe Canelo in the future. I'm fine with that. I'm not scared at all."
On the same card, Artur Beterbiev will face Deon Nicholson, the WBA's number 11 contender. Beterbiev isn't happy about Bivol backing out of their fight.
Despite these setbacks, Benavidez remains calm. He's making good money and trusts that his time will come. He explained:
"Well, the first thing that reassures me is that I've been making very good money. And also, there's no need to rush, buddy. Everyone has their time."
Benavidez believes Turki Alalshikh will make his desired fights happen. He said:
"It looks like it's very close to being finalized. Like I said, Turki Alalshikh is willing to finalize all these fights. Now I'm cornering everybody, and there will be no room for anyone to escape."
But for these fights to happen, Benavidez's rivals need to show interest too. Right now, both Bivol and Beterbiev are unavailable. Still, Benavidez remains hopeful that he'll get his chance to prove himself against the best in the division.
