David Benavidez already has his next fight lined up following Anthony Yarde triumph

David Benavidez is continuing to aim high

David Benavidez (31-0, 25 KO’s) proved successful in his first defence of his WBC light heavyweight title on Saturday, November 22, stopping Briton Anthony Yarde (27-4, 24 KO’s) in seven .

The Mexican was well ahead on the scorecards, and despite a determined effort from Yarde, a barrage of punches in the seventh forced the referee to put a stop to the contest.

The bout marked Yarde’s third attempt at clinching a world title, and following another failed effort, the 34-year-old's title dreams may officially be over.

It was a calculated performance from Benavidez, who has proven he has what it takes to hang with those at the very top of the light heavyweight division.

Shockingly, he may not stick around at 175 lbs for very long, revealing post-fight that his next goal is to conquer at cruiserweight.

“I got some news for you guys. May 2nd, me vs Zurdo Ramirez, I’m going up to cruiserweight to challenge for his titles, so I’m excited for that. I think it might be in Las Vegas. Cinco de Mayo, see you guys soon.”

Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (48-1, 30 KO’s) currently holds the WBA and WBO straps, meaning a win for Benavidez would see him crowned a three-weight world champion.

Ramirez’s last two outings have seen him prove his worth in the cruiserweight division, outpointing both Chris Billam-Smith and Yuniel Dorticos in one-sided decision victories.

Much like Benavidez, ‘Zurdo’ is also a former super-middleweight world champion, then following a short-lived tenure at light heavyweight - where he suffered the only loss of his career to Dimitry Bivol - he made the jump to the Cruiserweight ranks with a win over Joe Smith Jr. in 2023.