David Benavidez Shows His Power and Aims at Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez
On Saturday, David Benavidez delivered a dominant performance by defeating Anthony Yarde, retaining his WBC and WBA “regular” super middleweight titles. Following the victory, he announced his intention 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 unanswered blows at 1 minute and 59 seconds, achieving a technical knockout victory at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight unfolded in a one-sided manner, with Benavidez controlling the situation and connecting effective combinations to his opponent’s body and head.
This was Benavidez’s third appearance in the light heavyweight category, marking his first victory by stoppage at this weight. His two previous fights at 175 pounds ended 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 turned in his favor. The situation worsened for Yarde in the sixth round, when Benavidez began to hit his chest in the center of the ring after receiving a good uppercut. This blow, far from stunning Benavidez, seemed to ignite him, dominating Yarde for the rest of the round and the fight. In Ramírez (48-1, 30 KOs), Benavidez would face another Mexican champion. Ramírez’s last defeat was by decision against Dmitry Bivol in a non-title fight in November 2022.“He entered the world of ‘Monster’ 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’ Ramirez, I am going to go up to challenge for his title.”
David Benavidez
