David Benavidez is looking forward to his co-headline bout against Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the WBC interim light heavyweight title next month on June 15 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
A new challenge for Benavidez
Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) will move up to 175 pounds to take on former WBC light heavyweight champion Gvozdyk (20-1) for Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin, which will air on PBC PPV on Prime Video. , 16KO).
This will be the first time in Benavidez’s career that he doesn’t have a size advantage over his opponent, so it will be interesting to see how he handles against a slightly bigger fighter with more power and technical skill.
Benavidez was always able to stand in front of his opponents at close range and toy with his opponents with his high-volume punches. There are several reasons for that.
- Weak opponents: Benavidez has defeated mid-major fighters like David Lemieux and Demetrius Andrade.
- Size: Having a size advantage allowed Benavidez to overwhelm smaller opponents at 168.
If Benavidez loses this fight against Gvozdyk, he will likely move back to 168 pounds and continue aiming to face Canelo Alvarez. He still hopes Canelo agrees to fight him, but the odds are slim at this point.
Motivation behind the move
“I'm excited to move up to 175 pounds. I've been moving up in this division for a long time. The only reason I didn't do it was because I was scheduled to fight Canelo Alvarez,” said David Benavidez of Mill City. He spoke to Boxing about his WBC light heavyweight interim title fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
The real reason Benavidez is moving up to 175 is because the Saudis want to make an undisputed championship between light heavyweight champion Artur Beteliev and Dmitry Bivol Some people believe that it is because they can smell the money.
If Benavidez defeats Gvozdyk, he could face the winner in Saudi Arabia and make a lot of money. So Benavidez didn't move up to 175 because he wanted to finally face someone his own age for a change. He is promoted because of money.
“There aren't any fights like that happening, so now is the perfect time to go out to sea and test it out,” Benavidez said. “Olexandr Gvozdyk is a very good fighter. He is a very decorated amateur. He defeated Adonis Stevenson, a great world champion and one of the greatest light heavyweight champions of all time. He has only one loss against Beterbiev.
Benavidez would have moved up to 175 a few years ago and was waiting for Canelo Alvarez to fight him. Had Benavidez advanced, he would have already challenged Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for world titles.
“So, I have my hands full, but I've been training to be the best Oleksandr Gvozdyk possible. So if I train like this, I'll be ready for whatever happens. Very big It’s going to be a card,” Benavidez said.
“Me and Gervonta Davis fighting together. I think it's going to be the biggest card of the year. It's definitely going to be great for the fans.”
The history of sparring is fascinating
“It definitely gives me an advantage. I sparred with him when I was 22, but that was a long time ago,” Benavidez said of sparring with Gvozdyk five years ago. “The only thing that's changed is that he's older and I'm stronger. I'm in my prime now.”
It's unclear how much Gvozdyk has changed since sparring with Benavidez five years ago. Gvozdyk is now 36 and spent four years away from the sport after retiring following a 10th-round knockout loss to Artur Beterbiev in 2019. He returned last year and has won two fights against lower-level opponents.
“I will go there and win in an impressive way. This is a very good fighter for me to face. I only have one loss against Artur Beterbiev. So they definitely won against me will be fighting with a different type of fighter,” Benavidez said.
“I think it's the first time I've faced a smaller fighter because he's a little bit bigger than me. He's more natural. He's been fighting longer at 175 pounds than me. I have a good opponent in front of me. He definitely wants me to do my best. He's not someone to cut corners on,” Benavidez said of Gvozdyk.
