After chasing Canelo Alvarez for the best part of two years, David Benavidez now hopes another super-middleweight can be granted his shot at the Mexican.

Ultimately, Benavidez was never presented with the chance to become a three-time world champion at 168lbs, despite making two defences of his WBC ‘interim’ title.

As a result, many have blamed Canelo for consistently ducking the ‘Mexican Monster’ who, as a unified cruiserweight champion, is now even less likely to face the modern pound-for-pound great.

But while recognising that his own ship has sailed, Benavidez nonetheless hopes that former world middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly can secure his opportunity.

The unbeaten Uzbek vacated his WBO title at 160lbs earlier this year, having previously been stripped of his IBF belt after testing positive for banned substance meldonium in November 2025.

Nevertheless, the 33-year-old became the WBO’s mandatory challenger at 168lbs, only for Hamzah Sheeraz to vacate his strap after their ordered bout went to a purse bid hearing.

Instead, Alimkhanuly will face fellow unbeaten contender Jacob Bank for the vacant title on January 23, when a victory could place him in the Canelo sweepstakes for 2027.

Speaking with Fight Hub TVBenavidez said he sincerely hopes, but remains doubtful, that their unification match materialises.

“The only fight that I would love to see [Canelo in]which would be a great fight, [is against] Janibek. But I don’t think that would ever happen.”

Most seem to be highlighting Sheeraz as a more likely opponent for Canelo, who reclaimed his WBC title by unanimously outpointing and dethroning Christian Mbilli last month.

Skye Nicolson kept Miyo Yoshida chasing for 10 rounds, using her longer reach and lead right hand to win a unanimous decision and retain her WBC super bantamweight title Sunday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

The judges scored it 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 for Nicolson in her first defense as full champion at 122 pounds. Neither fighter went down on the ESPN card headlined by Elif Turhan and Alycia Baumgardner.

Less than a pound separated the fighters at the weigh-in, but Nicolson had about five inches of reach on Yoshida. That advantage showed each time Yoshida had to step in to throw. The challenger landed several rights in the opening round, but Nicolson answered with left hands and body shots. By the third, Nicolson (17-1, 3 KOs) was catching Yoshida with the lead right as she came forward.

Yoshida (19-6, 1 KO) had one of her better spells in the fourth, backing Nicolson up with a flurry. Nicolson countered with a right and tied her up before she could build on it. In the fifth, Nicolson went from circling away to pressing Yoshida, 38, toward the ropes, where she landed a right hook. Yoshida had to stay ready for Nicolson to come forward even as she tried to cut off the ring.

The Japanese challenger kept finding short rights in the clinches in the sixth and seventh and landed on the way in during the eighth. The trouble came whenever Nicolson got clear. Yoshida had to start her approach again, and Nicolson, 31, could get back to scoring with both hands from outside. Yoshida put combinations together in the ninth, but Nicolson caught her with a counter left and an uppercut. The champion worked quick uppercuts into her combinations in the tenth as Yoshida pursued her to the final bell.

Yoshida was trying to win a world title in a third weight class after holding belts at 115 and 118 pounds. She showed she could make Nicolson uncomfortable once she got close, particularly when she led with more than one punch. She spent too much of the fight trying to get back there.

For Nicolson, the result was her first successful defense since being elevated from interim to full champion in May. The former WBC featherweight champion had been due to face Yoshida in Britain in August before an injury delayed the bout. She made her MVP debut in Arlington and came away with the belt still in hand and a possible unification ahead.

Alycia Baumgardner took away Elif Nur Turhan’s unbeaten record and her IBF lightweight title on Sunday night, using a sharp jab and quick counters to win all 10 rounds on each judge’s card. All three scored it 100-90 for Baumgardner, who became a two-division world champion in her lightweight debut.

Turhan (14-1, 8 KOs) spent much of the early going trying to get close enough to throw her looping right hand. Baumgardner’s jab made her start those attacks from farther out than she wanted. When Turhan committed to the overhand anyway, Baumgardner (19-1, 7 KOs) could step clear and catch her before she was set to punch again. Turhan kept bringing the fight to her, but Baumgardner landed the cleaner shots while giving the champion few chances to follow up.

The pattern held through the middle rounds. Turhan stayed busy and found openings with hooks and uppercuts when she shortened her punches. Baumgardner took those shots and went back to the jab, making Turhan, 31, work her way inside again. Turhan’s best punches came once she was close enough to throw without reaching. Too often, she had to risk a wide shot just to get there.

Turhan landed clean uppercuts in the ninth and kept pressing in the tenth, still looking for a big shot after spending much of the night behind. Baumgardner, 32, kept her composure and continued to make Turhan miss and pay for coming forward. The three shutout cards gave Baumgardner every round, even with Turhan landing some of her best punches late.

The win gives Baumgardner a belt at 135 pounds after her undisputed run at 130 and puts a potential unification with Caroline Dubois in play. Turhan gave her an immediate test at the new weight. She kept coming for 30 minutes, landed cleanly when she got inside, and made Baumgardner keep working to regain her distance. Baumgardner did it often enough that none of the three judges found a round to give the defending champion.

The fight headlined Most Valuable Promotions at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. It was contested over 10 three-minute rounds at the 135-pound limit.

Earlier on the card, Ramla Ali won the vacant IBF and WBO super bantamweight titles by split decision over Mikiah Kreps, and Skye Nicolson retained her WBC belt at the same weight by unanimous decision over Miyo Yoshida.