David Benavidez retained his WBC Light Heavyweight World title this weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, stopping Anthony Yarde in round seven. Former undisputed champion of the division, Artur Beterbiev, has weighed in on the action.
Benavidez proved too spiteful and fast for Yarde, who started steadily but fell behind the blistering pace set by the champion. The writing was on the wall in the sixth, with the Brit bloodied and beaten. In the seventh, Benavidez scored two knockdowns to win via TKO and keep both his undefeated record and belt at 175lbs.
Though ‘The Monster’ promptly announced that he would face Gilberto Ramirez in May for the cruiserweight title, many feel a more intriguing match-up would be against KO king Beterbiev.
Beterbiev became four-belt champion at 175 in October of 2024, defeating Dmitry Bivol via majority decision. It was the first time in the Russian powerhouse’s campaign that he was forced to go the distance, and Bivol did one better in the rematch when he won the belts via the same scores, reversed.
Plans for a trilogy have been slow in materialising, and fans want to see Beterbiev in as many top match-ups as possible before he retires. At 40 years old, time is not on his side, but he appears to be keen on clashing with Benavidez, as per his post-fight social media post.
“All you ask me about Benavidez-Yarde. I saw it. Nothing new for me. We two could have something better, isn’t it?”
All you ask me about Benavidez-Yarde. I saw it. Nothing new for me. We two could have something better, isn’t it?
— Artur Beterbiev (@ABeterbiev) November 24, 2025
Though great for his legacy, facing ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in May means Benavidez won’t be available for Beterbiev for some time. It is, given the circumstances, a match-up that may pass fans by. Another man Benavidez is keen to step through the ropes with is Bivol himself, who will return in 2026 after back surgery.