Boxing
David Benavidezs Ultimate Five-Fight Fantasy Matchups in Boxing
Published
3 weeks agoon
Jose Benavidez Sr. has mapped out a five-fight tour for David Benavidez that stretches from Michal Cieslak at cruiserweight to Oleksandr Usyk at heavyweight. It sounds spectacular until the opponents, weight changes, and calendar receive closer inspection.
“We’re looking for December to beat the WBC world champion now and go with Opetaia, then come down and fight Beterbiev or Bivol,” Jose Benavidez Sr. told ProBox TV. “After that, we would love to make a fight with Andy Ruiz, and then maybe go with Usyk. We’re just dreaming here, daydreaming. Those are the fights that I think are very possible to make.”
The first mistake is treating Cieslak like a formality. He is a powerful natural cruiserweight who has fought Lawrence Okolie and Ilunga Makabu. David has never absorbed a clean shot from a leading 200-pound puncher, yet his father is already discussing the four fights that follow.
Beating Cieslak would lead to an even more dangerous task against Jai Opetaia, the division’s premier fighter. Opetaia owns the speed, pace, and natural cruiserweight strength to punish David in areas where his usual size advantage would disappear.
Jose describes Opetaia almost like an intermediate stop before David returns to light heavyweight. That badly understates the difficulty of defeating a prime champion who has spent his career carrying cruiserweight power.
The proposed weight changes may be just as dangerous. David would add mass for two cruiserweight fights, remove 25 pounds to face Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivoland then build himself into a heavyweight.
David struggled to remain at 168 for years. Once his body adjusts to cruiserweight, forcing it back to 175 may damage his stamina, legs, and punch resistance. Facing Beterbiev after such a cut would be a particularly punishing choice.
The Ruiz fight makes little sense beyond name recognition. Ruiz is 37, rarely fights, and has not won since September 2022. He may be approaching 40 by the time David completes the cruiserweight and light heavyweight portions of this plan.
One more poor performance or loss against an ordinary heavyweight may send Ruiz into retirement. Beterbiev and Usyk may also be gone before David reaches them.
Five major fights across three divisions would likely consume at least three or four years once negotiations, training camps, and recovery periods are included. Jose’s fantasy tour keeps David’s name attached to famous opponents, but it bears little resemblance to a schedule that can actually be completed.

About the author
Boxing 24/7 Wire
Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.
You may like
Boxing
Jake Pauls Joshua Loss Disrupts His Future Fight Aspirations
Published
3 hours agoon
October 7, 2026
Jake Paul wants Canelo AlvarezRyan Garciaand Deontay Wilder, but his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua makes those ambitions harder to sell. Calling out bigger names keeps him in the conversation. Getting them into the ring could require Jake to rebuild with some wins first.
“Before I rest…” Paul wrote on Xlisting potential opponents before tagging Nakisa Bidarian with the instruction: “Make it happen.”
His targets also include Francis Ngannou, Conor McGregor, Sean Strickland, Darren Till, KSI, Chris Eubank, Edgar Berlanga and Tom Aspinall. Jake specifies boxing for Aspinall, boxing and MMA for McGregor, and MMA for Nate Diaz. He adds “World Title” without naming a division or belt.
The Joshua defeat hangs over that entire pitch. Jake can still offer opponents publicity and a commercially attractive event, but another major boxing matchup would invite questions about whether viewers are buying a competitive fight or another knockout.
That could make the bigger names harder to secure. They would have to see enough value in facing Jake to accept the criticism that comes with fighting someone Joshua already stopped. A social media callout gives them little reason to commit.
Jake needs some distance from that loss, and victories would do more for him than another ambitious list. A run of wins could help rebuild interest in what he can accomplish inside the ring. The quality of those opponents would also count. Beating fighters who offer little resistance would leave the same questions waiting when he calls for Canelo or Wilder again.
There is also a difference between selling a comeback and selling a world-title challenge. Jake’s post provides plenty of names for crossover events, but no explanation of how he intends to earn a shot at a belt.
His promotional hustle has kept him visible. After the Joshua knockout, visibility alone may be insufficient to persuade the opponents he wants—or the audience—to buy the next big boxing pitch.
Bidarian has a list to work through. Jake needs to give him a stronger selling point by winning again.
About the author
Boxing 24/7 Wire
Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.
Boxing
Irail Madrimov vs. Seymur Isayev: Scheduled Return on October 30
Published
8 hours agoon
October 7, 2026
Israil Madrimov gets back to work on October 30 at Humo Arena in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, taking on Seymur Isayev after another lengthy stretch of inactivity. The Uzbekistan Professional Boxing Federation confirmed the booking, per Sports.kz.
This marks just the second ring appearance for the former WBA junior middleweight champion since dropping tough decision losses to Terence Crawford then Vergil Ortiz Jr. Madrimov took care of business against Luis David Salazar back in January. Still, sitting out for nine months right after that win stalled his momentum toward the division belt holders.
Isayev brings a southpaw stance from Azerbaijan into the biggest test of his career. He rides a string of knockout victories, but stepping into Tashkent against an elite operator like Madrimov represents an entirely different level of competition.
Madrimov gets a prime opportunity to showcase his skills in front of his hometown supporters. Whether that victory actually pushes him toward the top contenders at 154 pounds really hinges on his performance plus how fast his team lines up the next assignment.
Madrimov secured world championship status by halting Magomed Kurbanov in 2024. Crawford took the belt later that summer, with the Ortiz defeat arriving in February 2025. Those setbacks came against the absolute best fighters in boxing, so they never completely booted him from title relevance.
Health troubles also disrupted his schedule. He struggled with bronchitis that spiraled into pneumonia around the Ortiz bout, followed by surgeries on his shoulder along with his knee. That ordeal kept him out of action for roughly eleven months before he defeated Salazar.
Nobody has officially explained the reason for the latest delay. We have a confirmed fight date now, though nothing points to another physical setback.
Madrimov wants to turn his earlier victory into real traction. Putting on a clinic against Isayev will help, but another long vacation right afterward keeps him running in place. He needs this hometown showcase to serve as a launchpad. Madrimov is 31 years old with only 14 professional bouts under his belt, so running a once-a-year schedule is boxing suicide for a guy trying to claw back into championship contention.
At 154 pounds, the division moves too fast to sit on the shelf for eight or nine months between tune-ups. When an ex-champion drops back-to-back decision losses to the very top tier, taking almost a year off just to beat Luis David Salazar, and then disappearing for another nine months before fighting an unproven Seymur Isayev, all momentum disappears.
A four-fight schedule would force mandatory activity, keep him sharp, and put him in front of the sanctioning bodies every three months. Even if two of those dates are quick stay-busy showcases against guys he can blast out early, it builds the fight frequency he desperately lacks. Right now, by the time he gets through two prolonged training camps and unexplained layoffs, another year has evaporated, and the younger contenders pass him by.
If he does not start fighting every three to four months, his physical prime will be completely gone before he ever touches another major purse or world title shot.
About the author
Boxing News 24 Desk
BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.
Boxing
Tim Bradley Urges Caution in Floyd Mayweather vs Ryan Garcia Comeback Fight: Better Stop Playing
Published
11 hours agoon
October 7, 2026
Ryan Garcia is reportedly in talks for a surprise showdown with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, and two-division world champion Tim Bradley has offered his thoughts on that potential match-up.
Mayweather retired back in 2017 after securing the 50th win of his undefeated professional career in a lucrative clash against Conor McGregor, but ‘TBE’ has been linked to a comeback and rematch against Manny Pacquiao throughout 2026.
Pacquiao is now possibly featuring on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua card in December, so Mayweather has now been linked to a shock clash with Garcia – where a win could see him break Bernard Hopkins’ record as the oldest world champion in history.
Speaking on his YouTube channelBradley reacted to the news, telling Mayweather that he should focus on fighting Pacquiao and ‘leave the younger guys alone’.
“Floyd is damn near 50 years old and he is returning into the ring against freaking Ryan Garcia, man? You better get the hell out of here with that, man. Y’all better stop playing with me.
“Mayweather’s a** is so scared of damn Manny Pacquiao, who is 47 years old, and you going to fight against Ryan Garcia? A damn 20-something year old? Sit your old ass down, man. Your time has come, your time has been done.
“You better get in there with Manny Pacquiao, stealing that damn money the way you did. Yeah, get your a** in there with Manny Pacquiao and leave these young’uns alone.
“I hope this ain’t true, man, for real. This s**t right here has ruined my night, I am not going to lie.”
It remains to be seen how negotiations will develop in the coming days and weeks, but a clash between Garcia and Mayweather could buy Teofimo Lopez some time to fulfil his WBA mandatory and face Jack Catterallin the hopes of teeing up a unification bout against Garcia for 2027.
Jake Pauls Joshua Loss Disrupts His Future Fight Aspirations
Irail Madrimov vs. Seymur Isayev: Scheduled Return on October 30
Christian Leroy Duncan's coach reveals they asked for Brendan Allen ahead of UFC Vegas 122: 'The top of Christian’s list'
Trending
-
MMA1 day agoDustin Poirier admits he helped teammate cheat scale to make weight
-
MMA1 day agoDustin Poirier admits he helped teammate cheat scale to make weight
-
MMA2 days agoZabit Magomedsharipov signs with RAF, faces fellow UFC vet in Abu Dhabi
-
Boxing2 days agoAgit Kabayel vs Nelson Hysa: A Fight Lacking Intrigue
-
Boxing1 day agoFloyd Schofield Challenges Lucas Bahdis Boxing Skills in Upcoming Match
-
Boxing1 day agoFloyd Schofield Sr. Aims for Victory Against Lucas Bahdis Body in Upcoming Match
-
MMA1 day agoDWCS Results : LaGrange vs. Ariano
-
Boxing14 hours agoTyson Fury Claims Fight with Anthony Joshua is a Pride of Britain Showdown


