This weekend in Las Vegas, David Benavidez achieved the best result of his career, significantly increasing his weight and becoming the first man to stop Gilberto Ramirez.

Benavidez competed just twice at airy heavyweight before signing a deal for a unified cruiserweight title fight against “Zurdo” Ramirez, known for his endurance and fortitude.

Despite gaining over 20 pounds since his last competition, the 29-year-old star retained his hand speed and devastating style, allowing him to drop Ramirez twice en route to break in the sixth roundbecoming a champion in three weight classes and climbing the rankings pound for pound.

I keep talking X after watching the fight, four-division champion Shakur Stevenson praised Benavidez and then supported the fight against Dmitry Bivol.

“Benavidez is everything he says he is, great respect for him and his ability. I would love to see Bivol get back to 100 percent and fight this fight.

Benavidez wants this fight too, putting the Russian number one on his hit list. According to promoter Eddie Hearn, who represents Bivol, preliminary discussions have already taken place and both parties are interested in moving forward.

However, there is an obstacle in the form of Artur Beterbiev. Hearn pointed out that there is a “loose agreement” on a trilogy fight with Beterbiev, who beat Bivol in the first meeting and then lost the rematch, which will take priority if called upon.

With three belts in two divisions, Benavidez will have no shortage of options, although he thought he would soon have to decide what weight he wanted to fight at next.

David Benavidez has set the conditions for winning the cruiserweight titles: fight him outside of Zuffa or forget about the shot after crashing Gilberto Ramirez in Las Vegas.

“If he wants to do that fight, we can make it happen… We can’t make it so there are no fights there,” Benavidez said of rival Jai Opetai at the post-fight press conference for his devastating sixth-round stoppage.

Benavidez detailed the situation with Opetaia and the current policy of the Zuffa league: “I don’t know why [Opetaia] he went to Zuffa. We could have had this fight right after this one. I don’t know if he was stripped down by the IBF and what he is or isn’t. I’m not even going there – I’m not fighting for the Zuffa title.”

He continued: “But I mean, I don’t know. I think I’ll definitely fight him in the future,” Benavidez said.

“I respect Opetaia; I think he’s a great fighter. He needs to come back here [away from Zuffa] for these fights to take place.”

“I think everyone knows what this is about. There’s just a lot of politics involved, you know?”

Zuffa Fighters face title locks

Zuffa began to acquire a number of former champions and cruiserweight title challengers. Jai Opetaia was the title holder until he entered the format and was stripped of the title for fighting for the Zuffa belt.

Brandon Glanton, Ryan Rozicki and former WBO leader Chris Billam-Smith also joined the fight.

Benavidez warned that the league format could limit opportunities: “Dana White showed he didn’t want to fight PBC. He didn’t.

“I don’t even want to feel – I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but it’s just… that’s what it looks like from the outside.”

Consequences for future matchups

The implications are clear: opportunities for Zuffa fighters to fight for sanctioned titles may be confined, while PBC-sanctioned fights will become the only viable path to defeating Benavidez.

Benavidez’s post-fight remarks draw a clear line: challengers must go beyond Zuffa to earn a legitimate shot at the title, meaning future matchups in the division and the scope of potential championship opportunities will face obstacles or uncertainty.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a seasoned boxing reporter with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives and reported in-ring performances. Read the full biography.

“Benavidez is everything he says he is, great respect for him and his ability. I would love to see Bivol get back to 100 percent and fight this fight.

One fan quickly brought up Shakur’s older post, bringing him back into the conversation:

“I said I would do it in my own time and not at any other time! Tell David I will move up when he moves up to his fourth weight class to fight Usyk?”

The “in my time” comment seems tender to fans because it sounds like a double standard. Shakur wants to be considered a “large dog” who fights anyone, but contract requirements suggest he only wants these fights when the other fighter is in physical danger.

Benavidez just proved that you can advance and dominate without the security of a contract. By asking about catchweights and hydration limits against Ryan, Haney and Benn, Shakur makes it basic for people to say he’s more interested in protecting his 0 than checking his size.

“Mexican Monster” Benavidez jumps divisions and chases whoever holds the belts. He doesn’t wait for the perfect moment. That’s why people call him a warrior.

Shakur isn’t built like that. He fights precisely and chooses his moments carefully. Even here, he showed Benavidez respect and then pointed to Dmitry Bivol as the fight he would like to see next.

Stevenson is a four-division champion, which on paper is an incredible feat. However, it is believed that these titles were won thanks to thorough planning and favorable conditions. When he tells fans “on my time,” to many it sounds like he’s saying “on my terms,” ​​which includes riders or safeguards to reduce risk.