Benavidez not – David Benavidez says he’s “not ready right now” to face Oleksandr Usyk, even after Turki Alalshikh tried to push for the matchup. Benavidez emphasizes respect for Usyk but argues he won’t move up from cruiserweight. His focus remains on a possible unification
David Benavidez walked back into the spotlight with a message that sounded firm, not negotiable.
The 29-year-old became a three-weight world champion last month by dethroning Gilberto Ramirez for the WBO and WBA titles, stopping him in a decisive sixth-round finish. At 200lbs, it looked like a cruiserweight leap that landed perfectly.
But Benavidez isn’t treating the move like it’s finished business.
He lobbied the WBC to install him as the mandatory challenger at 200lbs. seeking a three-belt unification fight with fellow champion Noel Mikaelian. Negotiations are now reportedly under way for a collision later this year—one that could complicate plans for Zuffa champion Jai Opetaia if he’s left without an opponent for his next outing.
For now, though, Benavidez is drawing a hard line on the one fight that would take him away from where he believes he belongs: a step up to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
It’s not that he’s dismissing Usyk. Coming off a sub-par performance against Rico Verhoeven—where he stopped him in round 11 last month—Benavidez still has to deal with the reality that Usyk is widely regarded as the top dog in his division. And despite the pressure, Benavidez says he won’t be hurried into that gamble.
Speaking to Luis Parra, Benavidez said Turki Alalshikh tried to make the heavyweight matchup happen through people around him, but Benavidez insists respect isn’t the same thing as readiness.
“[Alalshikh] didn’t talk to me directly, [but] he was talking to the people around me and said he wanted to make that fight. But honestly, I have a lot of respect for Usyk, and I’m not ready for that right now.
“If he came down to cruiserweight then yeah, we could fight at cruiserweight. But I’m not moving up.”
Those words land with extra weight because Benavidez is not only refusing a fight—he’s also explaining the condition under which he’ll consider it. In his view. the safest path is staying at cruiserweight. where he believes he can build experience rather than leap into an entirely different set of challenges.
He’s also not alone in his division’s uncertainty. Having been ordered to defend his WBC title against ‘interim’ champion Agit Kabayel, Usyk must now decide whether to pursue their mandated fight or vacate the belt.
David Benavidez Oleksandr Usyk Turki Alalshikh Noel Mikaelian WBC mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel Jai Opetaia Rico Verhoeven boxing news cruiserweight heavyweight