Anthony Yarde believes he’s already won his headliner fight against WBA light heavyweight champion David Benavidez in their bout this Saturday, November 22nd, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) is coming in to dethrone ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez by kicking him off his throne in their bout in their bout on DAZN PPV.
(Credit: Leigh Dawney Photography)
Benavidez’s Alarming Weight Cut
Benavidez and Yarde made their Grand Arrivals in Riyadh today. What was interesting was how thin Benavidez appeared. He was painfully thin, suggesting that he’s been going through torture to take the weight off during the last two weeks.
It was thought that when Benavidez moved up from 168 that it would be easier for him because of the seven-pound cushion that he has at 175, but that’s not the case. He’s still struggling. That suggests Benavidez’s true weight class is cruiserweight [200 lbs], and he should move up if he can’t get the fights he wants against Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.
If Benavidez loses to Yarde or struggles on Saturday, he might need to make a tough decision to move up. He already looked average in his last two fights at 175 against David Morrell and Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
Yarde’s Confidence at an All-Time High
“My mentality is I’ve already won. Coming from where I come from to get to this stage for the third time and to get to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I feel like I’ve already won,” said Anthony Yarde during today’s Grand Arrivals in Riyadh for his fight this Saturday against David Benavidez.
This is Yarde’s third bite out of the apple in fighting for world titles at 175. He lacked experience in his losses to Sergey Kovalev and Artur Beterbiev. Now, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t excel on Saturday to take advantage of Benavidez’s drained appearance to wear him down with power shots.
“There’s no pressure on me. I’m an excellent fighter. I’ve just got to show people that with a bit more experience, I can actually be the best in the [light heavyweight] division,” said Yarde.
“I’m going to give you a great fight this Saturday,” said Benavidez. “I’ve got a lot to prove not only for this Saturday, but for the rest of my career. I really want to make a statement that I’m the best in the world, and the greatest of my generation by the time my time is done.”
Benavidez Promises War—But Can He Deliver?
Benavidez hasn’t looked like the “greatest” of this generation in his two fights at 175. It’s doubtful he’ll get much better than he already is at 28. If he’s struggling at light heavyweight after two fights, it suggests he can’t dominate fighters of a similar size. He’d like pure gold fighting smaller opposition at 168, but he’s not the same fighter at light heavyweight.
“It starts with Anthony Yarde. I know he’s coming in and focused, and he’s prepared. I’m ready to make it a war in there, and I’m not leaving without a victory,” said Benavidez.
