David Benavidez: Dmitry Bivol 'knows I'm not coming to play' after 'up close and personal' sparring sessions

One of the best fights that can be made in all of boxing, without a doubt, is Dmitry Bivol vs. David Benavidez. Thus, boxing fans were somewhat disappointed to see WBC light heavyweight champion Benavidez announce his jump up to cruiserweight to challenge Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez this Saturday for his unified titles — not because Ramirez vs.

Benavidez isn’t a terrific fight, but because of the perception that it could signal Benavidez’s time at light heavyweight has come to an end. However, Benavidez told Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” in the lead-up to this weekend that although he’ll be moving up 25 pounds to the 200-pound cruiserweight division to face Ramirez in Las Vegas, he expects to come back down to light heavyweight afterward and deliver the Bivol fight fans are clamoring for. “My plan wasn’t just to abandon the light heavyweight division,” Benavidez clarified.

“My plan was to come up, grab two titles, come back down, and make this fight with me and Bivol even bigger. That’s exactly what I want to do. My dream is to become unified champion.

And my foot is already there, basically at the finish line. ” Benavidez, 29, said he’s taking the fight with “Zurdo” because Bivol was unavailable. Bivol hasn’t fought since defeating Artur Beterbiev for boxing’s undisputed crown in February 2025.