David Benavidez is looking for a new opponent after his cruiserweight unification fight with Noel Mikaelian has fallen through.
Now 29 years old, Benavidez is the former two-time super middleweight champion and current WBC light heavyweight champion. He then moved up to cruiserweight in May and knocked out Gilberto Ramirez in six rounds to claim the WBA and WBO world titles.
Initially, the man known for his relentless punching output was expected to go back down to light heavyweight to chase big fights with Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev; but his team instead petitioned the WBC to make him mandatory challenger to cruiserweight champion Mikaelian.
Although the fight was ordered, Mikalian decided to take a fight with former IBF ruler and newly installed Zuffa Boxing champion Jai Opetaia.
Per a new post on X by Abraham Gonzalez, it seems as though Benavidez is now set to instead fight Polish cruiserweight Michal Cieslak.
“🚨Developing🚨 Sources tell @FightsATW that unified cruiserweight champion David Benavidez is set to face interim WBC champion Michal Cieslak in November or December. More to follow. #Boxing”
Cieslak has twice challenged for cruiserweight honours, firstly the WBC crown in 2020 and then the WBO strap in 2022, but both lost on both occasions to Ilunga Makabu and Lawrence Okolie respectively.
Mikaelian is likely to be stripped of his belt if he fights Opetaia, so the fight between Benevidez and Cieslak could well be elevated to a full world title fight and another unification for ‘The Mexican Monster,’ who has knocked out 26 of his 32 opponents to date.
