“I was thinking, ‘How can we make the fight even bigger?’ I was thinking maybe we do a catchweight at 190,” said Benavidez to the Ariel Helwani Show. “We get the cruiserweight belts involved, light heavyweight belts involved, and the winner takes all.
“Dmitry said he wants to fight for the cruiserweight championship before his career was over. So, maybe we can make a bigger fight like that. I can still get to 175.”
That final line drew the most attention. Fans quickly pointed out that fighters who are fully comfortable in a division usually do not start floating catchweights 15 pounds above the limit. One reaction that gained traction online came from Pound4Pound, who posted:
“Ahhhh, he can’t make 175 ‘comfortably’ anymore GOT IT.”
The skepticism is tied to what people have already seen from Benavidez physically over the last few years. He looked enormous during his time at 168 and often entered the ring appearing closer in size to a cruiserweight. Even after moving to 175, he still looked significantly larger than David Morrell, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, and Anthony Yarde.
The Yarde weigh-in especially stood out. Benavidez appeared tighter and more drained than he had in earlier fights, which is why the 190-pound proposal immediately changed how fans interpreted his comments.
The controversy is not only about the extra weight. It is also about the belts involved. Benavidez wants Bivol’s light heavyweight championships at stake despite proposing a fight well above the division limit. To critics, that weakens the accomplishment because the fight would no longer be taking place under true light heavyweight conditions.
At 190 pounds, the physical advantages likely shift even more toward Benavidez. He would avoid the hardest part of the cut while entering the ring bigger, fresher, and stronger. Bivol, meanwhile, built his reputation on discipline, conditioning, and technical control at 175.
That is why the proposal created immediate suspicion online. Fans are not hearing a fighter searching for a bigger event. Many are hearing a fighter quietly admitting the scale is becoming part of the battle.
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