David Benavidez will attempt to become a three-weight world champion when he takes on unified WBA and WBO cruiserweight king Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in a Cinco de Mayo blockbuster in Las Vegas.
Zurdo is on a career-best run of form thanks to impressive decision wins over Arsen Goulamirian, Chris Billam-Smith and Yuniel Dorticos since stepping up to the 200-pound division in 2024.
Benavidez spent a number of frustrating years chasing Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at super-middleweight before moving to 175 pounds and taking down Oleksandr Gvozdyk, David Morrell and Anthony Yarde.
Now, with Canelo out of action due to elbow surgery on his traditional headline date, Benavidez has a chance to take centre-stage against Ramirez, who was the first Mexican in history to win world titles at super middleweight and cruiser.
There is plenty of other Mexican interest on the main card at the T-Mobile Arena, including a former Canelo foe who is aiming to become a two-time champion.
David Benavidez vs. Zurdo Ramirez undercard
Here’s a breakdown of all the action on the Benavidez vs. Zurdo card.
Armando Resendiz vs. Jaime Munguia
- Division/Weight: Super Middleweight
- Resendiz record: 16-2
- Munguia record: 45-2
- Belts at stake: WBA Super Middleweight title
Munguia suffered his first career loss to Canelo two years ago and is now operating out of the same gym under Eddy Reynoso. The former WBO light middleweight champion avenged his shock December 2024 knockout loss to Bruno Surace with a points win in an instant rematch last year.
Munguia tested positive for exogenous testosterone after the latter fight and has not been in action since, although he avoided punishment after the UK Anti-Doping Agency and the British Boxing Board of Control, which sanctioned the second Surace fight in Riyadh, accepted the argument from Munguia’s team that the fighter had returned a false positive caused by accidental contamination with the anti-ageing compound pregnenolone.
Following that controversy and the generally underwhelming nature of Munguia’s campaigning at middleweight and super middleweight to date, he can be considered very fortunate to have landed in what appears to be an eminently winnable world-title shot.
Resendiz scored a huge upset when he claimed a split decision win over former champion Caleb Plant last May. That secured the WBA interim belt at 168 pounds. Terence Crawford’s January retirement saw the California-based Mexican upgraded to full champion and Munguia will be Resendiz’s first defence.
Oscar Duarte vs. Angel Barrera
- Division/Weight: Super Lightweight
- Duarte record: 30-2-1
- Barrera record: 23-4-2
- Belts at stake: WBC Silver, WBO NABO Super Lightweight titles
Durate is on a four-fight winning streak since his December 2023 defeat to Ryan Garcia, most recently eeking out a majority-decision win over Kenneth Sims Jr. last August.
If there’s a touch of fortune about Munguia’s placement on this stacked card of Mexican talent, the same can be said with more certainty regarding Barrera, who has lost three of his past four. His most recent outing, back in Tijuana last October, was supposed to be a routine return to the win column against the unheralded Abraham Cordero (15-6-2).
In the third round of the scheduled 10, Barrera became enraged. First, he sought to punch Cordero around the referee as he broke the fighters before launching into an attack that featured a kick to his opponent’s groin, sealing a deserved disqualification.
Isaac Lucero vs. Ismael Flores
- Division/Weight: Super Welterweight
- Lucero record: 18-0
- Flores record: 17-1-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Lucero was supposed to be facing the similarly undefeated Alan Sandoval before the latter withdrew.
As late replacements go, the 17-1-1 Flores is about as good as you can get and comes into this one on a seventh-fight winning streak. It will be the 27-year-old Argentine’s US debut.
Fourteen of Lucero’s career wins have come inside the distance, including each of the past seven as he seeks another move up the rankings in a stacked 154-pound division.
Jorge Chavez vs. Tito Sanchez
- Division/Weight: Super Bantamweight
- Chavez record: 15-0-1
- Sanchez record: 15-0
- Belts at stake: N/A
As in the main event, this 122-pound contest has a couple of unbeaten records on the line.
Chavez is coming off a two-fight series with Manuel Flores, which he settled with a unanimous decision win in January after their initial meeting ended in a majority draw.
Sanchez has scored KO wins in his past two fights and, on a weekend when pound-for-pound superstars Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani clash at super bantamweight for the undisputed title, both of these men will be keen to put themselves in position.
Where to watch David Benavidez vs. Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez
David Benavidez vs. Gilberto Ramirez will be available on DAZN worldwide. The event will also air on Amazon Prime.
A DAZN monthly subscription is $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $29.99 month-to-month. The annual subscription is $224.99.
The PPV price is $79.99.
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