David Benavidez says he hopes to fight former undisputed lithe heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in 2026.
Why 2026 may be too overdue
The downside to next year’s Beterbiev-Benavidez fight is that Beterbiev will turn 41 on January 21. Delaying the fight between them will work against Arthur.
Benavidez (30-0, 24 KO) claims that he would fight Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KO) on November 22, but he was not offered this fight. Instead, he will defend his WBC lithe heavyweight title against Anthony Yarde in the main event.
Fan interest in this fight is not very high because Yarde (27-3, 24 KO) has already been knocked out in two previous world title fights against Sergey Kovalev and Beterbiev. Using Yarde as a world title challenger is a bad idea. It would be fine if it was an undercard fight, but not for the headliner.
Beterbiev will fight on the undercard with the little-known Deon Nicholson (22-1, 18 KO) in a 12-round fight at Ring IV: Night of the Champions.
“I wasn’t offered Beterbiev”
“If I was offered this fight, I would choose it. I was offered Anthony Yarde. I was not offered Artur Beterbiev,” David Benavidez told Ring magazine about X when asked why he chose to fight Anthony Yarde on November 22 and not Artur Beterbiev, who is scheduled to fight on his undercard.
Benavidez said he also wanted to fight IBF, WBA and WBO lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, but he didn’t want to face him. Bivol vacated the WBC title instead of facing Benavidez.
“The contract was signed even before they reached an agreement [Dmitry Bivol and Beterbiev] We weren’t going to fight. So there was nothing I could do about it. Hopefully we can get that fight against Beterbiev at the end of next year,” Benavidez said.
If Bivol isn’t going to fight Benavidez, he might as well fight Beterbiev to make a fight that fans will want to see early next year.
Dan Ambrose was the main voice in Boxing News 24 known for years for its sensible approach to sport. You can love him or hate him. Dan has developed a mighty fan base for his forthright analysis, direct opinions and in-depth coverage of the global boxing scene.
His articles often spark discussions among fans because he is not afraid to challenge popular narratives or question players’ performances. In addition to opinions, Dan provides fight news, previews, and post-fight analysis that provide readers with both detail and perspective.
The final decision may come after the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch drama ends.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Mayweather and Pacquiao were set to fight professionally more than 10 years after their first meeting, with the event streaming live on Netflix and taking place on September 19 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
In recent weeks the duel was in doubt, after Mayweather stated that the fight would instead be an exhibition, while Pacquiao continues to insist that it must be a fully sanctioned fight.
Since it is currently unknown whether this will actually come to fruition, this has probably given the clearest signal that this will no longer happen.
Conversation with FightHypepromoter Eddie Hearn said he thinks Netflix can now focus on the WBC welterweight title fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, essentially replacing the Mayweather-Pacquiao event.
“It’s all a mess. I’m surprised Netflix got into this whole circus… Netflix is modern to boxing, but they need to be a little more solid in the routine because you can’t actually call the fight and it just falls by the wayside and it just doesn’t look great.”
“NO [I don’t believe it will happen]not now. Netflix is only going to do so many fights and the Benn-Garcia fight is now said to be on September 12 or whenever that happens, so obviously this is the fight to replace Mayweather-Pacquiao.
“If it happened Mayweather-Pacquiao, they are committed to that fight, but if it doesn’t happen they will want another fight and from the sound of it it will be Garcia vs. Benn.”
The world title fight between Garcia and Benn has been widely discussed this month, and if Hearn is right, it could spell the end of any hopes of Mayweather and Pacquiao fighting again.
“I think my size and youth should be a gigantic advantage. It gives me an even better chance to win,” Nakatani told The Ring.
Inoue’s reluctance to make the jump to 126 pounds at featherweight may be the most truthful admission of his physical limitations.
Inoue has fought fighters who hydrated to be hefty, but Nakatani is elevated. At 5’7″ or 5’8″, he has the skeletal leverage of a natural featherweight or super featherweight.
Most of Inoue’s opponents end up with confined time as they have to rush to hit him. Nakatani can theoretically sit outside and throw a punch without putting his chin in the red zone.
The numbers support this belief on paper. Nakatani will enter with a three-inch height advantage, a slight reach advantage and a five-year age difference. He also has natural size from climbing three weight classes, which he plans to exploit for the full distance rather than chasing an early finish.
“This fight will 100% be a war and I think I will win by decision once I overcome everything Inoue throws at me,” Nakatani said.
In his December victory over Sebastian Hernandez, Nakatani was forced into a fierce fight in which both men landed heavily, taking 273 punches in a back-and-forth fight that went the distance. He showed toughness, but also suggested he could get hit when exchanges open up.
It’s not that Inoue is afraid of fighting a bigger opponent, but more that he is a perfectionist who knows that when you lose your physical advantage, you have to rely completely on your endurance. Nakatani is the first fighter in a long time who can actually make Inoue look petite in the ring.
Mexican boxing legend Erik Morales, who is the same age as Floyd Mayweather, presented his version of the 49-year-old’s expected rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
The two pound-for-pound icons will face off in a professional competition on September 19, headlining the Netflix event at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
However, their second meeting seemed to be in jeopardy after Mayweather stated last month that it would be an exhibition match.
Pacquiao and his team have since stated that it will be a fully sanctioned fight, but we are still waiting for an official announcement.
Their first meeting took place in 2015 and earned Mayweather a unanimous decision victory in an event that quickly became known as the most lucrative boxing event of all time.
But now the 47-year-old hopes to break Mayweather’s 50-0 record after ending his nearly four-year hiatus from professional boxing last July.
But while the Filipino drew with Mario Barrios, the then-WBC welterweight champion, many suggested he and Mayweather shouldn’t be entering the ring at this stage of their lives.
One of them is Morales, who fought Pacquiao three times, winning the first meeting but losing the next two. He told Fight Hub TV that the rematch would be won by the Hall of Famer who turned down the fight the least.
“We’re not at the age to get into fights. But hey, it’ll be intriguing. Whoever arrives the least injured and a little faster, [will win]”
Erik Morales Predicts Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2‼️‼️
“We’re not at the age to get into fights… This will be intriguing. Whoever wins must come to fight less hurt and a little faster!” – Erik Morales
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.