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Benavidez’s ‘simple’ cut raises alarm bells ahead of the Yarde fight

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8 months ago

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Image: ‘Easiest Weight Cut’? Benavidez’s Gaunt Look Suggests Trouble Before Yarde Clash

A visibly emaciated David Benavidez said today during Grand Arrivals that he is still three pounds low of Friday’s weigh-in for his fight with Anthony Yard, which will take place on Saturday, November 22 in Riyad.

(Source: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)

Benavidez emerges looking exhausted

Benavidez’s lanky appearance has some fans wondering how much weight he will have to lose to reach 175 pounds. If he is so skinny at 178, it means he must be a cruiserweight.

If he is tired after making weight, he may be defenseless against the powerful boxer Yard (27-3, 24 KO) on Saturday. This is not the right guy for WBC featherlight heavyweight champion Benavidez to suffer against due to his severe weight cut. From the way he looked today, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he hydrated into the mid 190s or even 200s.

“This is one of my easiest weight cuts. I have about three pounds left. Right now I weigh 178. So three pounds,” said an emaciated David Benavidez DAZN Boxing during today’s Grand Arrivals in Riyad.

Is this Benavidez’s “easiest” weight cut? What do I hear? That says a lot about how much weight he cut while fighting at super middleweight, and how amazing he looked when he stepped into the ring. When you are bigger than your opponents, it gives you a substantial advantage.

Gvozdyk and Morrell Let’s remind us of reality

It’s worth noting that Benavidez has had no more knockouts since moving up to 175 pounds. While he still looks bigger than his opponents in this weight class, he didn’t even come close to hurting the two guys he fought at featherlight heavyweight, Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell. Indeed, they were the ones who hurt Benavidez.

Benavidez says power continues to grow

“I know it’s not true because in the Gwozdyk fight I hurt him. In the Morrell fight I hurt him,” Benavidez said when asked about his reaction to criticism that his strength did not enhance from 168 to 175.

I watched the Benavidez vs. fight three times. Gvozdyk and Oleksandr was never seen to be harmed. Benavidez was injured in this fight in the 11th round, when Gvozdyk hit him in the granary with a mighty shot. Until Benavidez returned to form, attacking play was suspended for a full minute. If his power didn’t hurt Morrell or Gvozdyk, what would happen when Yarde defeated him? He won’t have the strength in his punches to fend off Yarde. Benavidez will have to rely on his ability to take punishment. He looked beaten later in the match against Morrell.

“What I did for this camp was go back to basics, apply footwork, distance and head movement,” Benavidez said. “We’re going to have to set traps. These are bigger guys. So bringing them down isn’t going to work like I did at 168.”

The moment he gets hit…

Benavidez is so hot-headed that you can’t believe he won’t fight like he always does, going on the attack whenever he gets hit. He is one of those players who fights under the influence of emotions. Benavidez is too elated to cope.

When he is down, an expression appears on his face and he immediately responds with combos. That’s who Benavidez is and that’s why he suffered such a harsh punishment against Morrell and Gvozdyk. Can a fighter who loses his mind after being struck really stick to his “game plan”? This is not realistic. He says he’ll fight from distance and apply his footwork, but as soon as Yarse hits him with a good shot, he’ll be back to his elderly self.

“So I say that my power does not bring, I know for a fact that I can hurt these guys. Now I have to follow the game plan and work on my jab. I see I have an opportunity to hurt Anthony Yarde. I just have to follow the game plan.”

A move in the cruiserweight division is becoming inevitable

If Benavidez hasn’t hurt his last two opponents at 175, it’s demanding to believe he’ll start showing strength now. His emaciated, painfully lean appearance suggests he may be tender and exhausted on Saturday, struggling on an empty field.

If he loses to Yarde, he will have a good reason to tell the fans. It would be wise for Benavidez to move up to cruiserweight at this point, rather than staying at 175 pounds and continuing to put himself through the wringer to make weight.

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Boxing

Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshuas Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns

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1 day ago

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July 25, 2026

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"Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshua's Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns"

Oleksandr Usyk has shared his reaction to Anthony Joshua‘s dramatic knockout victory against Kristian Prenga.

Usyk nearly suffered his own shock defeat in May when he was pushed to the limit by kickboxing star Rico Verhoevenand two months on it was nrw teammate Joshua’s turn to come close to a massive upset loss that would have stunned the heavyweight division.

The Brit was dropped twice by massive underdog Prenga in the opening round of their clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but ‘AJ’ managed to recover and record a big knockdown of his own in the second round that resulted in the stoppage victory.

Joshua and Usyk now train together, having famously had two battles for the unified world heavyweight title in 2021 and 2022, and the Ukrainian has had his say on his stablemate’s victory over Prenga.

Speaking to TalkSporttwo-time undisputed champion Usyk praised Joshua, insisting ‘AJ is back’ before predicting that Joshua will now claim a knockout win over long-term rival Tyson Fury in his next bout.

“Anthony Joshua is next undisputed champion. First round it’s a test but AJ is back.

It’s boxing, [the] big upper cut is good, it’s a knockdown. AJ [come] back and win.

“Greedy Belly [Fury] will speak now and say weak chin, Greedy Belly get out. AJ wins [against Fury], [he will] knock him out.”

Fury was victorious on Friday as he earned a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach in Thailand, paving the way for the showdown against Joshua later this year.

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Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshuas Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns

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1 day ago

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July 25, 2026

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"Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshua's Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns"

Jake Paul was the last man to fight Anthony Joshua and he has now revealed his verdict on AJ’s chaotic victory over Kristian Prenga.

Joshua went up against Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturdayin a clash that was expected to be a comfortable win for the former world heavyweight champion in order to set up the long overdue battle against Tyson Fury.

Any hopes of seeing that clash were nearly ended after AJ was dropped twice in the opening round of the bout, though he was able to recover and claim the second round knockout to come out on top and prevent a stunning shock upset from taking place.

Saturday’s outing saw Joshua back in the ring for the first time since his sixth round triumph over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul back in Decemberand now ‘The Problem Child’ himself has shared his reaction to his former rival’s victory over Prenga.

Posting on social mediaPaul praised AJ for earning the win, after returning to action following the tragic car crash he was involved in at the end of last year which took the lives of his two close friends.

“Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through. Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.”

The win for Joshua should now tee up for meeting with Fury later this year, after ‘The Gypsy King’ held up his end of the bargain by also securing a win in his warm-up bout on Friday, securing a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach.

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Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshuas Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

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1 day ago

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July 25, 2026

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Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshua's Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

Anthony Joshua may have earned a knockout win over Kristian Prenga but the fight certainly didn’t unfold as most people expected.

Joshua was facing the Albanian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, and it looked like a massive upset could be on the cards when he was dropped twice in the opening round.

‘AJ’ was able to recover and went on to secure a second round knockout victory to prevent the shock lossseemingly paving the way for the battle against Tyson Fury later this year.

One man who was ringside to witness the battle was former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellewand he praised Joshua’s ability to turn things around in the fight after describing it as ‘chaos’.

“We predicted round two but I don’t think we foresaw that. That was chaos. He doesn’t see the uppercut coming and finds himself on the floor without knowing how he got there.

“The second one he did see it coming and he was able to clench down on the jaw. He got up and then the experience that he has he used tonight because he tied him up. Against Andy Ruiz he didn’t know what he was doing and didn’t know how to do that, but tonight he did.

“He showed once again there is no quit. To be that hurt in the first round and get up, that’s the recoveries of power. People talk about your chin, but it’s not, it’s the level of fitness that gets you up from the floor.

“When Joshua gets a fighter hurt he’s the best finisher in the division. Whenever he hurts someone they’re gone. I haven’t seen him drop anybody and they survive, only Andy Ruiz. He’s a ruthless finisher.”

The clash between Joshua and Fury is now expected to be announced soon for later this year, after Fury won his own interim fight on Friday by defeating Mariusz Wach.

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