A slimmer-looking David Benavidez showed off his hand speed working out today on the mitts, as he prepares for his title defense of his WBC light heavyweight belt against Anthony Yarde in 85 days on November 22nd at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Grueling Fight With Morrell
Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) needs to trim down after gaining pounds after his 12-round unanimous decision victory over David Morrell on February 1, 2025. That fight may have been the most grueling one of Benavidez’s twelve-year professional career. Some of the punches that Morrell landed on Benavidez in rounds 9 through 12 have stopped many light heavyweights.
‘The Mexican Moilar to Benavidez’s previous fight against former WBC 175-lb champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15, 2024, he faded late in the championship rounds against Morrell, was knocked down in round 11, and took massive shots in the 12th.
A History of Fatigue
Benavidez’s stamina continues to be a concern, as he’s gassed in the later rounds in both of his fights since moving up to the 175-lb division in 2024. The knockouts are no longer coming for Benavidez now that he’s fighting opposition a similar size as him. When Benavidez fought at 168 from 2013 to 2023, he had the size advantage over his opponents and could stand at close range to overwhelm them with volume-punching.
Since moving up to 175, Benavidez’s power isn’t the same, and he’s getting hit hard using his high-output style. Morrell and Gvozdyk both had Benavidez hurt in their fights.
A Softer Matchup Against Yarde
Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) will give Benavidez a break from the tough fights that he’s had, as this is an opponent that fans expect him to figure out quickly, break down, and stop. In Yarde’s two world title shots in the past, he was knocked out by Artur Beterbiev and Sergey Kovalev.
Then IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight champion Beterbiev walked through some big hooks and uppercuts from Yarde early to knock him down and stop him in the eighth round on January 28, 2023, at the Wembley Arena in London. It was competitive until the seventh round when Beterbiev began pouring it on at close range against the tired-looking Yarde.
Does Yarde Deserve This Chance?
Fans question whether Yarde deserves another world title shot after his loss to Beterbiev in 2023. Although Yarde has won his last four fights since his 8th-round TKO loss to Artur, his opposition hasn’t been highly-ranked contenders.
Yarde’s recent opponents
- Lyndon Arthur
- Ralfs Vilcans
- Marko Nikolic
- Jorge Silva
Last Updated on 08/29/2025
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