The return of David Benavidez is on the verge of being finalised.
The 28-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona is set to make the maiden defence of his WBC world light-heavyweight title within a matter of months.
Benavidez was declared as the new WBC champion at 175lbs last month after Dmitry Bivol opted to vacate his crown to pursue a trilogy showdown with Artur Beterbiev, which is set to take place before the end of the year.
‘The Monster’ had held the WBC ‘Interim’ title and was made mandatory challenger to former undisputed champion Bivol, but was automatically elevated to full champion following the Russian’s decision to give up the belt.
Speaking on Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, Benavidez – who has recently celebrated the birth of a son – shared details of his impending return to the ring and the two opponents that are in the frame to be his next opponent, claiming they are the ‘top guys’ at 175lbs.
“So right now we’re thinking about either Callum Smith or Anthony Yarde, obviously those are the two top guys in that division.
“We’re thinking about making that fight [Callum Smith] here in the US and that’s also going to put me one step closer to fighting these guys because I have the WBA interim, I’m the world champion [with the] WBC and then after I beat Callum Smith I’ll have the WBO [Interim title].”
Smith put on a career best performance to defeat countryman Joshua Buatsi to capture the WBO ‘Interim’ light-heavyweight title on February 22, putting him in the frame for another world title shot at 175lbs, having already fallen short against Beterbiev in January 2024.
As for Yarde, he was in action in April when he defeated Lyndon Arthur in their trilogy contest, with Smith and Yarde also having been linked to a fight with one another.
