David Benavidez Makes Bold Claim Ahead of Potential Canelo Alvarez Mega Fight

The interim WBC super middleweight champion had some parting words for Canelo Alvarez.

Zain Bando | Nov 26, 2023

David Benavidez Makes Bold Claim Ahead of Potential Canelo Alvarez Mega Fight /

In the final event of boxing's run with Showtime Sports, David Benavidez punched his ticket to a unification bout against Canelo Alvarez with a sixth-round KO/TKO against Demetrius Andrade.

The bout was Andrade's first-ever loss, as a plethora of punishment ensued, forcing the referee to call the fight off.

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Benavidez, who improved to 28-0 as a professional, quickly called out the legendary Guadalajara product (h/t Boxing Social).

"Just a reminder to let everybody know who the f**k the real champion at 168 is," Benavidez said in the ring afterward. "They want to see me versus Canelo, and that’s what we want too. I’m the youngest super-middleweight champion of the world, three-time world champion, just gimme the fight that we all want to see. Who wants to see David Benavidez versus Canelo? That’s what you guys wanna see? Let’s get it.”

Per WBC rules, Alvarez must face Benavidez as his next mandatory challenger. Currently, Alvarez holds all four major titles at 168, making the potential fight must-see TV in 2024.

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Alvarez primarily fights on Mexican Independence Day or Cinco de Mayo weekend, so while the fight is still in its very early stages, a timetable for when it could materialize is evident.

The victory earned Benavidez the 24th KO of his career, as he out-landed Andrade 117-68 and landed 35% of his punches compared to just 26% for the challenger.

While boxing awaits 168's future, one could argue Saturday night is the revitalization of a division that was, once upon a time, one-sided.

Not anymore.

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Published Nov 26, 2023

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99