We’ve seen it numerous times over the years: a big, even massive favourite looks past a supposed gimme, or cake-walk, and he pays the price big-time. The champ, or the star fighter, loses, maybe by humbling KO. This will NOT be the case as far as David Benavidez is concerned, this from the man himself, who spoke with Ring Magazine ahead of his fast-approaching November 22 WBC light heavyweight title defence against Anthony Yarde.
Recently, Yarde’s trainer, Tunde Ajayi, along with former two-time world title challenger Yarde himself, said they feel Benavidez is indeed guilty of looking ahead to bigger fights – ones with Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol, or maybe Zurdo Ramirez. But this isn’t so, says “The Mexican Monster.”
Benavidez Says He’s Locked In on Yarde
“They can say whatever they want, but they’re not seeing how I’m training,” Benavidez said. “If anything, this has been the hardest I’ve trained. They’re probably saying that because I’m mentioning Dmitry Bivol, I’m mentioning Zurdo Ramirez. But at the end of the day, I know what’s at stake.”
Benavidez, who has trained mighty hard for the Yarde fight — at least going by the training footage sites such as Fight Hype and Fight Hub have put out — knows what’s at stake. I don’t know about you, but I think Benavidez, 30-0(24), has the kind of fighting pride and ego that will never allow him to risk losing due to not doing his pre-fight work. But we will see later on this month.
Prediction: Benavidez to End It Early
Pick: Benavidez, on fire, will score an impressive, put the 175 pound division on (further) notice by icing Yarde inside three sizzling rounds.
But how do YOU see the Nov. 22 fight going?
Yarde’s team are absolute: Benavidez is “having a laugh,” in thinking that Yarde, 27-3(24), is going all the way through with this fight not believing he can and will go home with the career-changing win.
This fight does promise to be bombs away, while it lasts.