David Benavidez has long made it clear that he wants to prove himself as the best fighter in the world, and has an ambitious hit list to do so as he navigates the prime years of his professional boxing career.
The 29-year-old has won world titles in three weight classes, most recently defeating Gilberto Ramirez in a career-best performance to become the unified champion at cruiserweight. That statement victory firmly established his presence in the 200-pound division and added yet another prestigious belt to his already impressive collection, further solidifying his reputation as one of the most feared and avoided competitors in the sport today.
Though he had initially planned to drop back down to light-heavyweight following various strategic career assessments, Benavidez has since made it clear that 200 pounds is where he is most comfortable right now, and he intends to remain there until a planned future move up to heavyweight, which he projects might take place in roughly two years’ time. This physical maturation and comfort at cruiserweight have allowed him to carry his devastating power up through the divisions without sacrificing the trademark combination punching and relentless pressure that earned him the moniker "El Monstro."
Though there are plenty of intriguing match-ups to come for the formidable puncher, he has now fully accepted that he will not get the chance to share the ring with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez after years of frustrating public and private chasing. The pursuit of a mega-fight against the Mexican superstar defined a significant portion of Benavidez’s campaign through the super-middleweight and light-heavyweight divisions, but the landscape has shifted definitively.
Speaking candidly on The Last Stand podcast, Benavidez addressed the situation head-on, revealing that his days of calling out Canelo are officially done. He reflected on the reality of the situation, acknowledging that the stylistic and promotional barriers are simply too great to overcome at this stage.
“Yeah, I mean, I think honestly I could say with confidence that that fight is never going to happen. And, you know, I just, you know, I don’t want to keep disrespecting somebody that’s not going to – not even disrespecting, but just calling somebody out that doesn’t want to fight,” Benavidez said on the podcast.
Despite the years of animosity, promotional standoffs, and missed opportunities, Benavidez maintained a sense of respect for the undisputed icon when discussing his legacy in the sport.
“Canelo, at the end of the day, he’s a great fighter. He’s a legend. And, you know, I would like to be a legend like him and follow in his footsteps and become a great fighter like him,” he added.
Benavidez looked set to earn his shot years ago when he fought his way to the mandatory position in the super-middleweight ranks with the World Boxing Council (WBC) when Canelo held the undisputed championship. Despite holding the mandatory challenger status for an extended period, the sanctioning body ultimately failed to enforce the mandatory defense. Meanwhile, Alvarez maintained publicly that he was not interested in the bout at that particular time, directing his focus toward other historical goals, including his successful quest to become the undisputed champion at 168 pounds, an achievement he secured in 2021 by defeating Caleb Plant.
When Benavidez eventually moved up to light-heavyweight, boxing fans and pundits still held out a glimmer of hope that the long-awaited showdown could finally be made. That optimism was rooted in the fact that Canelo had previously competed twice at 175 pounds, including a successful challenge against Sergey Kovalev and a competitive loss to Dmitry Bivol. However, promotional boundaries, network alignments, and differing career trajectories kept the two fighters on parallel tracks that never intersected.
This confirmation of a sustained cruiserweight run now seemingly ends all hope of a catchweight or divisional clash, and Benavidez appears to have accepted as much as he charts a new course for his career. Rather than looking backward at fights that reside strictly in the realm of "what-ifs," the unified champion is looking forward to the immediate challenges that await him in the 200-pound division.
Benavidez is set to face Michal Cieslak in December in an attempt to add the WBC 200-pound belt to his collection, a bout that represents another crucial step in his mission to clean out the cruiserweight division. Beyond Cieslak, the division offers high-stakes, elite-level entertainment, highlighted by a potential blockbuster thriller against fellow elite operator Jai Opetaia that waits on the other side of his December assignment.
Canelo, meanwhile, returns to action this month, continuing his own storied career path, though many observers within the boxing community feel the event is on the verge of being postponed, or at least moved, due to various logistical and promotional factors surrounding the card. As Canelo writes the final chapters of his legendary career in the lighter weight classes, Benavidez is fully immersed in building his own legacy in boxing’s heavier divisions, leaving behind the ghost of a rivalry that was never meant to be.
