David Benavidez has never run away from the label: “Potential.” Even if his always had a habit of peeking past its shadow, seeing what was ahead. It’s taken some time, some patience, some trial-and-error, and some willingness to stretch beyond his perceived limits in trying to snatch new boundaries. And still, after close to two decades of boxing, Benavidez, the two-division world champion, is nowhere close to where he wants to be.
He may be taking a step toward his rise to stardom when he fights unified (WBA/WBO) cruiserweight southpaw champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on Saturday night (PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view, 8 p.m. ET) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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The 29-year-old Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) will be climbing up 25 pounds to face the 34-year-old Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs). Benavidez swears he’s ready.
Ramirez is the biggest opponent Benavidez has ever fought.
“When it comes to size, to be honest, there is more danger because I’m moving up in weight, but size doesn’t scare me,” Benavidez told Uncrowned. “My plan is always the same. My defense has to be impeccable, my movement has to be impeccable, everything has to be good. There is always danger anytime you are in the ring. I know this is a big jump in weight for me, and there is always a lot of danger that is present, but at the end of the day, I’m the one who poses more danger. If there is anyone who is in danger, that’s the opponent standing in front of me.
“I know Ramirez is a good fighter, but look what I have done, and the confidence I have. Yeah, I’m going up in weight, but that means everything about me will be different and better. I always say no one has seen the best of me yet. I become that much more dangerous the heavier I am, because my punches will have more power behind them, more speed, everything will be better. I’m ready for him.”
David Benavidez moves up in weight to challenge Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez this Saturday in Las Vegas.
(Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy via Getty Images)
In his past five fights, Benavidez has mowed down former champions Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade, Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell, as well as contender Anthony Yarde. He stopped Yarde and Andrade, and beat Plant, Gvozdyk and Morrell in unanimous decisions. At age 29, he’s at the pinnacle of his game.
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Ramirez is on a four-fight winning streak, ever since being dominated by Dmitry Bivol in November 2022. It was the first time Ramirez stepped up in class, and he failed to control the pace, getting plastered by Bivol combinations while unable to keep up with Bivol’s head feints and movement. Ramirez made the wrong choice in trying to outbox Bivol.
In Benavidez, Ramirez will be facing a fighter who has superior hand speed, one-punch power and exceptional ring IQ.
“I’m telling you it’s a mistake everyone in boxing is making,” said Malik Scott, one of Ramirez’s trainers. “‘Zurdo’ is going to be a problem for David. I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again, ‘Zurdo’ is the best opponent that David has ever faced. He’s rangy, a 6-foot-3 southpaw, who can move. The only person who beat him was Bivol, one of the best in the whole world. That tells how good you have to be to beat him.”
Benavidez, who holds the WBC light heavyweight title, could be that good.
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Benavidez has never faced anyone like Ramirez. But Ramirez has never faced anyone like Benavidez.
“This is the strongest that I have ever been going into a fight,” Benavidez said. “Ramirez is a champion, and he has good power. He has good technical ability, and he throws good body shots. I have to give him respect, and I will respect what he does well. What I bring to the table is the kind of hand speed and overall speed that the cruiserweight division has not seen since [Hall of Famer] James Toney. I don’t think I am that fast, I know that I am that fast. If anything, I am faster than James Toney. It’s what makes this fight intriguing.
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“This fight will bring out the best of us. My plan is not to stay at cruiserweight. It’s already set that I have a unification fight with Bivol coming up after this. He has the IBF, WBA and WBO [light heavyweight] titles and I have the WBC title. It’s a great fight that people want to see, but I have to beat Ramirez first, and he’s a tough test. I cannot look past him. I’m walking around at 200 pounds, so I don’t have to cut any weight. When I go back down, I have to do it the right way and make it gradual. I’m not looking to fight in September, because ‘Canelo’ [Alvarez] is taking up dates, and I’m hearing [Manny] Pacquaio and [Floyd] Mayweather have a September date.”
Benavidez said he has been training for the Ramirez fight since January. This could be the best version of himself.
“I’m putting in the work alone. I’m not waiting for my father or any trainer to tell me to put in the work, I’m doing the work alone,” said Benavidez, the father of a 5-year-old, 2-year-old and 9-month old. “Fatherhood and my wife have created the best version of me outside the ring. A decade ago, there were some people who had me dead on the street and dead in the ring. My story is still going. No one has seen the best version of me, and even if I come close to it, I still plan on reaching for more. That’s what my opponents don’t get. They see who I was in my last fight. They don’t see me. The last version of myself is a fighter that is gone, wiped away. Each time I fight, I’m scrapping and clawing for a newer version.
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defends his WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles against Benavidez.
(Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy via Getty Images)
“I know I can make myself better and better. My life has played out like a book, but there is more that I want to accomplish. You don’t have to start out being the best. I had this ‘potential’ thing around me ever since I put on gloves, I think, and I never ran away from it. Fans demand more, boxing people demand more, and no one can demand more of myself than me.
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“This time next year, I see myself as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I truly believe that.”
Benavidez is listed at 6-foot-2, with a 75-inch reach, while Ramirez stand 6-foot-2.5 with a 75.5-inch reach. Benavidez is dangerous with both hands. Ramirez possesses a good jab, is a sound body puncher and does have the power to knock down Benavidez, who has hit the canvas twice in his career — once to Ronald Gavril on a counter left hook in September 2017, the other to Morrell in February 2025 on a right hook. Ramirez is sturdy. He has never been stopped nor knocked down.
“That changes on May 2,” Benavidez said. “This will be a mean, tough version of me. Every fight I get is bigger and bigger. I’m putting out my heart and soul. Ramirez is the biggest guy I ever faced. I’ve been 210 [pounds] throughout camp. I’ll be 210 on fight night. I think he’ll probably be up around 220. He can’t keep up with me. This is the hardest I’ve ever hit anyone. With the added weight, I’m hitting guys harder. Ramirez won’t even see the speed. He won’t be able to see my punches. If he tries to come in fast, that will be a mistake. If he tries to box me, that will be a mistake. This is the year I break the threshold and reach even greater levels.
“I’m going to try and knock out ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. I see openings and holes there. I feel that confident that I will knock him out. I want that knockout. By the time the fight is over, he’s going to feel he’s been knocked out anyway.”
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