David Benavidez says the fight that needs to happen at 175 now is between WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and IBF, WBC & WBO champ Artur Beterbiev.
Benavidez feels that Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) vs. Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) would be a massive fight and one to make right now. Of the two, Benavidez gives Bivol the edge because of his skills and power.
Benavidez states that he saw Beterbiev get hurt in his fight against former WBC light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozyk in 2019, and he doesn’t rate that guy as powerful as Bivol.
If Bivol chooses to fight a rematch with Canelo Alvarez in his next match, Benavidez doesn’t see the results being any different than the first time around last May. Even if Bivol comes down to 168, he still will beat Canelo because he’ll be faster and more elusive at that weight.
“I wasn’t surprised about how he did because that’s always how he looks,” said David Benavidez to Fighthype about Bivol’s victory over Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez last Saturday night. “He’s a great boxer, moves around, and is really good.
“I’m just surprised that Zurdo wasn’t able to do much. He wasn’t able to impose his will. He was throwing too many of the same combinations over and over again. I just think they [Team Zurdo Ramirez] didn’t prepare right. They didn’t study right for that.
“It was a great fight. Congratulations to Bivol. He did what he had to do. He’s definitely a force to be reckoned with. He’s really good. I would like to get a shot against him in the future, but I feel like the fight that needs to be made right now in the light heavyweight division is him vs. Beterbiev.
“I feel like that would be an amazing fight, and I feel that’s the fight to make at 175. You never know,” Benavidez when asked to pick a winner between IBF, WBC & WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and Bivol.
“If you look at Beterbiev’s fight when he fought for the WBC belt [against Oleksandr Gvozdyk]. I sparred that guy. He has really good movement, but he doesn’t hit hard at all, and he hurt Beterbiev once or twice with good combinations. Bivol is way stronger than that guy, Oleksandr.
“I feel like Bivol, with the way he moves and has a great right hand, and he has a lot of experience right now. I feel like his confidence is at an all-time high right now because he beat Canelo and then he beat Zurdo.
“It [Beterbiev vs. Bivol] would be a great fight. I feel Bivol has to keep moving and not stay in one spot. But I don’t know. If Beterbiev catches Bivol on the ropes. We’ve never seen Bivol have to fight off the ropes like that. Maybe he could; maybe he can’t.
“There’s still a lot of unanswered questions there. It would be a great fight,” Benavidez said about a potential undisputed light heavyweight clash between the unbeaten Beterbiev and Bivol.
