WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez has officially moved on from the super middleweight division following his unsuccessful attempt to challenge then-undisputed champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Since Alvarez no longer holds a title at 168 pounds, Benavidez has expressed no interest in returning to that weight class.
After Terrence Crawford’s commanding win over Alvarez on September 13th secured him all four super middleweight world titles, Alvarez will be out of action for an extended period. Crawford had shown interest in facing Benavidez, who holds a perfect 30-0 record with 24 knockouts, especially since a bout with Alvarez was hindered by elbow surgery. However, Benavidez told FightHub TV he is finished with the super middleweight division and has no plans to drop back down to 168 pounds to fight Crawford.
Benavidez stated, “The super middleweight division is done for me. I want to congratulate Crawford—he delivered an incredible performance and is ascending to the greatest fighters ever. But I’m not interested in fighting Crawford or going down to 168 pounds. Though it might seem tempting to unify titles, I’m past that point at 168. For Canelo and 168, that’s not a consideration for me.”
He further clarified, “This isn’t about fear. Crawford is a natural 168-pounder, which is his division. I’ve moved on from that weight. Money isn’t my main focus; my priority is giving myself the best chance to win and perform well.”
Benavidez is a two-time super middleweight champion, having won the vacant WBC title against Ronald Gavril in 2017 and reclaiming it in 2019 by defeating Anthony Dirrell. Both title reigns ended outside the ring—once due to a doping violation in 2018, and the second after losing a defense against Romer Alexis Angulo in 2020.
By claiming the interim WBC belt at 168 pounds, Benavidez was positioned as a mandatory challenger to Alvarez, successfully defending it twice while awaiting a title shot. When that opportunity failed to materialize, he moved up to light heavyweight, eyeing a potential battle against the undisputed titleholder of Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev. He earned the WBC interim light heavyweight title by defeating Oleksandr Gvozdyk and later secured the WBA interim title with a win over David Morrell, who also left super middleweight due to challenges in facing Alvarez.
Following Bivol’s victory over Beterbiev in a rematch for the undisputed crown, Bivol vacated the WBC title, which elevated Benavidez to full world champion status. He is set to defend his light heavyweight title against Anthony Yarde on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with his focus firmly on the 175-pound division.
Benavidez expressed regret that he wasn’t the one to stop Alvarez’s dominance, adding, “I believed that moment was mine. If I had gone in there, I would have beaten him. It didn’t happen because Canelo knew what was coming.”
Fan Take: This news signifies a major shift in the super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, as Benavidez firmly commits to 175 pounds, opening the door for new rivalries and title unification battles. For fight fans, it highlights the ever-changing landscape of boxing where strategic moves by top fighters can redefine divisions and create highly anticipated matchups.
