David Benavidez super middleweight debut: myths vs facts

The weight management issue

Benavidez made his professional debut at age 16, when he defeated Erasmo Moreno by knockout in one round in Puerto Penasco. He won the NABF Junior light heavyweight title in April 2015 against Rollin Williams. He had 12 wins and 11 stoppages with no losses at the end of 2015. He is a three-division world champion and maintains a 32-0 record with 26 knockouts. He captured the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles on May 2, 2026, when he stopped Gilberto Ramirez in the sixth round at the T-Mobile Arena. This victory came after a 25-pound weight increase for the contest against Ramirez. His history with weight management creates concerns for his super middleweight status. In 2020, Benavidez weighed over the super middleweight limit during his fight against Roamer Alexis Angulo. The WBC stripped him of his title because of that weight miss. He also defeated Phillip Jackson Benson in the second round on April 30, 2016, at the StubHub Center. This fight occurred on the undercard of the Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto II bout. He also defeated Kevin Cobbs in the second round on January 18, 2016, at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. He also stopped Denis Douglin in the tenth round on August 5, 2015, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. That stoppage happened 35 seconds into the round after he broke Douglin down over the course of the fight.

Championship history and setbacks

Benavidez holds titles at 175 and 200 pounds. He regained the WBC super middleweight title in 2019 after he stopped Anthony Dirrell in the ninth round at the Staples Center. This victory followed a four month suspension that ended in February 2019. The WBC imposed the suspension because the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency detected cocaine in a urine sample from August 2018. He returned to the ring in March 2019 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and knocked out J’Leon Love in the second round. You should account for his physical conditioning when assessing his move to this division. Will his current size make weight a problem again? Benavidez previously beat Francy Ntetu in the seventh round via TKO on June 25, 2016, at the Barclays Center. The referee stopped the bout because the NYSAC doctor, Barry Jordan, recommended it due to the amount of punishment Ntetu took to his eye. He led 58-56, 58-56, and 59-55 on the judges scorecards at the time of stoppage. The crowd even booed at the 1 minute 30 second mark of the seventh round. He also defeated Sherali Mamajanov in the second round on January 28, 2017, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. He dropped his opponent in both the first and second rounds during that fight on the undercard of Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter.

Performance stats

Benavidez previously defeated Ronald Ellis in the eleventh round via technical knockout on March 13, 2021, after the WBC ranked Ellis as the number eight super middleweight contender. He was considered a top prospect at super middleweight during that period. He also stopped Rogelio Medina in the eighth round on May 20, 2017, at the Laredo Energy Arena after knocking him down three times. This match was for the number two mandatory spot. In his rematch against Ronald Gavril on February 17, 2018, Benavidez won by unanimous decision with scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109. Benavidez earned $400,000 for that rematch, while Gavril received $125,000. He also won a split decision against Gavril on September 8, 2017, with judges scoring 117-111, 116-111, and 116-111. He also had a scheduled bout against Jose Uzcategui on August 28, 2021, at the Phoenix Suns Arena, but Uzcategui failed a drug test and Kyrone Davis replaced him on October 28, 2021.