David Benavidez Shows Dominance and Aims at Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez
David Benavidez put on a display of power on Saturday, securing his victory over Anthony Yarde to retain his WBC and WBA “regular” super middleweight titles. Following his triumph, Benavidez announced his ambition to face Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, current WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion, in May. Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) set the pace of the fight from the start, sending Yarde (27-4, 24 KOs) to the canvas in the seventh round. The fight culminated with a series of precise punches that forced the referee to stop the fight at 1:59 of the same round, awarding Benavidez a TKO victory at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight was mostly in favor of Benavidez, who with effective combinations to the body and head, managed to impose his strategy from the beginning.
This was Benavidez’s third appearance in the light heavyweight category and his first stoppage victory in this division. His two previous fights at 175 pounds resulted in decision victories against David Morell and Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Benavidez took approximately four rounds to unleash his full potential against Yarde, but once he did, the fight took a clear turn. The situation worsened for Yarde in the sixth round, when Benavidez began to hit his chest in the center of the ring after a good uppercut from Yarde. This blow seemed to motivate Benavidez even more, who dominated the rest of the round and the fight. If the fight materializes, Benavidez would face another Mexican champion, Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs). Ramirez’s only loss was by decision against Dmitry Bivol in November 2022, in a fight that was not for the title.He entered the Monster’s world and was knocked out. This feels incredible. I am very happy with this. I have news. On May 2nd, Zurdo Ramírez, I will go up to challenge for his title.
David Benavidez
