David Benavidez Must Show More Ambition If He Really Wants Oleksandr Usyk Fight

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Recent comments from Benavidez suggest the Usyk fight is little more than a fantasy. He said he isn’t planning to move to heavyweight for his next fight or even the one after that, effectively taking himself out of the running for Usyk’s farewell bout. He added that he is not planning to move to heavyweight for his next fight or even the one after that. Those comments don’t align with Usyk’s timeline.

At 39, Usyk has repeatedly spoken about having one “last dance” before retiring. If that proves true, Benavidez’s cautious approach will almost certainly leave him watching from the sidelines while someone else gets the opportunity.

That’s a shame because Usyk represents the biggest challenge available anywhere in boxing.

Benavidez has built his reputation by chasing elite fighters, but there is a significant difference between targeting older champions like Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev at light heavyweight and moving up to face one of boxing’s greatest heavyweight technicians.

Bivol and Beterbiev were fighting in divisions Benavidez could naturally reach. Usyk is a true heavyweight who has already conquered the division after becoming an undisputed cruiserweight champion. Even without his titles, he remains one of the sport’s premier fighters.

Former four-division champion Roy Jones Jr. believes Benavidez should take the fight, calling it the one matchup capable of making history. Benavidez’s father, Jose Benavidez Sr., has also described Usyk as the ultimate challenge for his son. The fighter himself, however, appears far less eager.

No one should criticize Benavidez for wanting to move up responsibly. Heavyweight is unlike any other division, where opponents can outweigh you by 30, 40, or even 60 pounds on fight night. But greatness often demands extraordinary risks.

If Benavidez truly wants to cement his legacy as one of boxing’s most ambitious champions, a fight with Usyk is exactly the type of challenge that defines careers. It would require leaving the comfort of familiar weight classes and facing an elite heavyweight on his own terms.

Based on Benavidez’s recent remarks, that leap doesn’t appear to be on his agenda.

If Usyk retires after one more fight, the opportunity may disappear before Benavidez ever decides he is ready.

Benavidez is completely showing a lack of that throwback, risk-taking mindset that creates true legends. His comments are filled with standard, over-cautious excuses about respecting weight classes and needing years to adjust his body. If you want greatness, you take the leap when the opportunity is staring you in the face.

Look at what just happened in Egypt. Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxer with basically zero pro boxing experience, just went out there and completely exposed Usyk. Verhoeven was up on the scorecards and had Usyk looking completely ordinary until that highly controversial referee stoppage with one second left in the 11th round saved Usyk’s unbeaten record.

If a kickboxer can do that to Usyk right now, a young, relentless pressure fighter like Benavidez would have a massive chance to completely dismantle him.

Instead, Benavidez wants to stay in his comfort zone, talking about taking his time, while Usyk is explicitly planning his final career bout in the United States before retiring. By the time Benavidez feels his body is “fully prepared,” Usyk will be long gone.

It is a glaring missed opportunity. Benavidez would rather play it safe against older, smaller light heavyweights like Bivol and Beterbiev or pick up belts against flawed cruiserweights instead of chasing a history-making fight. If he lets this window close, he is going to spend the rest of his career wondering what would have happened if he actually had the nerve to step up.