Following his latest victory, David Benavidez has been linked to some of boxing’s biggest names, but despite his recent success, his recent sparring partner gives him no chance of defeating one potential opponent.

Benavidez needed just six rounds to defeat unified cruiserweight world champion Gilberto Ramirez last weekendwhich makes the monumental 25-pound weight gain seem meaningless as he dwarfs a larger man.

After his impressive results at 200 pounds, fans are now wondering whether “The Mexican Monster” should stay at that weight and face Jai Opetaia, or even consider moving up to heavyweight and fighting for the unified throne with Oleksandr Usyk.

However, Benavidez is committed to fighting unified lithe heavyweight ruler Dmitry Bivol, whether it be at 175 pounds or catchweight.

I’m talking to Fighting the noiseformer sparring partner Andre Dirrell said that this is not a favorable matchup for the “Mexican Monster”.

“Bivol is the final boss, I don’t think so [Benavidez] can beat Bivol. I don’t think there’s anything he can literally do to ensure victory. I’m not saying it won’t be close, I’m saying there’s nothing he can do to win.

“I think Bivol will get ahead of him in terms of movement and the way David chases, compared to how well Bivol moves and punches and his movement, it’s just going to be too much for David. He’s going to try to figure it out, he’s going to be more determined every round and he’s never going to give up.”

“This in turn will give him a great performance against Bivol and he will learn a lot about himself in this defeat against Bivol. That’s the only certain thing for me.”

Bivol is scheduled to defend two of his three major world titles against Michael Eifert on Saturday, May 30, in Russia. His team is in preliminary talks with Benavidez’s players, but priority would be given to a trilogy with Artur Beterbiev if it is on the table.

Floyd Mayweather provided a long-overdue update on his rematch with Manny Pacquiao.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the two boxing icons would renew their money-making rivalry by going head-to-head in a professional rematch. Pacquiao last competed in paid fights in 2025, after drawing with then-WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. However, Mayweather retired in 2017 and has since shown no desire to put his 50-0 record on the line.

Even though Netflix confirmed the fight, Mayweather poured frosty water on the plans, insisting it would be an exhibition instead. Pacquiao’s side responded that the comments were contrary to what had already been agreed and that binding contracts were in place.

While the feud continued behind the scenes, Mayweather was also busy preparing for an event against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis.

As reported by ESPN’s Andreas Hale, at the official press conference for the fight, Mayweather commented positively on the Pacquiao rematch and said it was on track to be fully finalized within two days.

Floyd Mayweather said the Pacquiao fight is “close to the finish line” and he believes it will be over in the next 48 hours. pic.twitter.com/H7nvoCps11

— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) May 7, 2026

What was negotiated after the initial announcement remains unclear, but given Pacquiao’s insistence that the fight would be a professional fight and his disinterest in the exhibition, it appears that the American – who won his first fight in 2015 by unanimous decision – now agrees to those terms again.

Given that The Sphere will no longer be hosting and that recent reports suggest the fight will be fast-tracked if Mayweather’s words prove true, there will be a novel announcement with updated details. Perhaps this time it will be written in stone.

Edgar Berlanga revisited both his loss to Hamzah Sheeraz and his fight with Saul Alvarez during a lengthy interview, insisting he still believes “something was wrong” in the Sheeraz fight while revealing the trash talk he exchanged with Canelo in the ring.

Berlanga said he immediately felt something unusual during the Sheeraz fight and said the punches were not normal compared to what he experienced against Canelo.

“A thousand percent. I knew something was wrong, brother. I knew when it happened, I knew something was wrong,” Berlanga said Danza project. “When the lights were on and I was just sitting in the corner, I was like, ‘Damn, bro.’ I’m training my ass off for this fight. I did a 10-week camp. I was in the best shape of my life. That shot didn’t look like a punch. I’ve been boxing for 22 years. You know if it was a punch or something, bro. But no excuses. I take my losses for what they are. I just gotta get it back on. I know it’s We will repeat it.”

Berlanga then compared the experience to what he felt during the Canelo fight, saying the Mexican star’s punches were completely different.

“You saw with Canelo, Canelo hits strenuous,” Berlanga said. “You’ll find out. When Canelo hit me, yes, I was injured at the moment, but I shook it off while we were still getting along. Me and him were talking madly in the ring. I told him, ‘You hit like a female dog.’ He told me, ‘My son hits harder than you.’ We went back and forth. I connected him and spoke to him in Spanish. It was like Kobe fighting Michael Jordan.

Berlanga also rejected the notion that he excused Sheeraz’s loss, saying he fully accepted his loss to Canelo but believed the circumstances of the Sheeraz match were different.

“Canelo beat me fair and square. He’s got a lot more experience than me. He beat me. But that’s different shit, man, I’m like, ‘Yo, bro, come on, man.'”

The interview comes as Berlanga prepares for the next phase of his Zuffa Boxing career after signing with Dana White’s up-to-date promotional venture earlier this year.

Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.

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Last update: 2026/05/07 at 18:40