David Benavidez Shows His Power and Aims at Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez
David Benavidez made his dominance over Anthony Yarde clear this Saturday, retaining his WBC and WBA super middleweight titles. Furthermore, he announced his ambitious plan to challenge Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion, in May. Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) sent Yarde (27-4, 24 KOs) to the canvas in the seventh round, ending the fight with a series of punches that forced the referee to stop the fight at 1:59. The technical knockout victory took place at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight was a monologue by Benavidez, who set the pace with precise combinations to his opponent’s body and head.
This was Benavidez’s third appearance in the light heavyweight category and his first stoppage victory at this weight. His two previous fights at 175 pounds resulted in decision victories against David Morrell and Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Benavidez took approximately four rounds to unleash his full potential, but once he did, the fight turned in his favor. The situation worsened for Yarde in the sixth round, when Benavidez began to pound his chest in the center of the ring after receiving a good uppercut. The blow seemed to motivate Benavidez even more, who dominated Yarde for the rest of the round and the fight. If the fight materializes, Benavidez would face another Mexican champion in the figure of Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs). Ramirez’s last defeat was by decision against Dmitry Bivol in a non-title fight in November 2022.“He entered the Monster’s world and was knocked out,” declared Benavidez, known as “The Mexican Monster.” “This is incredible, I am very happy. I have news. On May 2nd, Zurdo Ramírez, I am going up to fight for his title.”
David Benavidez
