David Benavidez says he is willing to go to “war” in his title defense of his WBC light heavyweight belt against challenger Anthony Yarde on November 22nd in Riyadh. Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) has repeatedly said that he wants their fight to be a “war in the center of the ring,” as he likes his chances in a fight like that.
You can’t count Yarde out, as he had former light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev hurt on a couple of occasions in their fight in 2023. Although Anthony lost, he showed that he’s dangerous for even the best guys in the weight class.
Benavidez Weakness: Body Shots
Benavidez’s vulnerability is to the body. We saw how he was hurt against Oleksandr Gvozdyk when the former champion stopped head-hunting and focused on his body in the later rounds. The ‘Mexican Monster’ also has a poor gas tank. He’s gassed out after nine rounds in both of his last two fights against Gvozdyk and David Morrell.
“He knows what I’m bringing to the table. When I respect somebody, that’s when it brings the best out of me,” said Anthony Yarde during today’s press conference for his title challenge against David Benavidez.
Benavidez Overconfidence: Yarde Threat
David may not know what Yarde brings to this fight, because it’s possible he’ll assume that he’s going to win. With the way that Benavidez is saying he can beat anyone at 175, that’s a signal of overconfidence. He’s too cocky for his good and hasn’t looked closely at the flaws he showed in his last two fights. Benavidez acts like he can walk on water, and he is out of touch with reality. It’s classic narcissism.
“He knows I can hit. He can hit, too. In boxing, one punch can change everything. I haven’t been a world champion yet. I’ve got to prove myself. I know who I am, and that’s who Benavidez is fighting,” said Yarde.
“Anthony Yarde has a lot of experience. I like to go to war too,” said Benavidez. “I want to set an example. In the light heavyweight division, it doesn’t matter if they come in at their best.
Yarde’s Punching Power: Real
Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) might want to reconsider a slugfest against Yarde after the career’s worth of punishment he absorbed in his win over Cuba’s David Morrell last February. He won that fight, but the huge punches he took from Morrell did a number on his face.
In contrast, Morrell looked unmarked. The reason for that is Benavidez’s lack of power at the light heavyweight level, and many of his machine gun-type shots were blocked by Morrell
“I’m against anybody. I feel I’m the best in the world against people with a lot of experience. If he wants to go to war, we’ll go to war. I see a lot of openings in him. This card is one that will live in history for a long time. I want to steal the show,” said Benavidez.
It’s unlikely that Benavidez will “steal the show” for the November 22nd event, because there are too many talented fighters on the undercard who can put on more impressive, drama-filled performances than he will in the main event. He doesn’t have the right opponent for him to get the most attention in this event. Yarde is essentially a six-round fighter
Last Updated on 07/11/2025
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