David Benavidez made it clear he is not looking for a new division to conquer; he believes his real work is still waiting at light heavyweight.
During a recent media session, Benavidez was asked about the constant talk of moving around in weight. He shut it down quickly. There will be no return to 168. There will be no jump to heavyweight. Even the cruiserweight opportunity he acknowledged came and went without changing his focus.
“I have a lot of unfinished business at 175,” Benavidez said. “We’re doing this, and I’m not thinking about heavyweight at all. You guys keep bringing up heavyweight. I’m not thinking about that.”
That language stands out because it is territorial. Benavidez has already proven he can move up and compete. He beat Caleb Plant at super middleweight and handled the physical demands of stepping higher. He has been in tough fights and expects them to get tougher. “I don’t expect no easy fights,” he said. “I want better, better, better opponents every single fight.”
Instead of chasing size or novelty, he is choosing difficulty inside a division that can answer questions about him. Light heavyweight has depth. It has punchers. It has experienced contenders who do not give away rounds cheaply. Staying there is not the comfortable route.
There was a time when Benavidez’s story drifted toward what he might become at bigger weights. That talk now feels misplaced. He sounds anchored. He sounds like a fighter who believes the version of himself stepping into 175 is closer to his peak than the one who built his name at 168.
If he truly sees light heavyweight as unfinished business, then the division is no longer a stop along the way. It is the proving ground he has chosen, and that decision will define how far this run actually goes.
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Last Updated on 2026/02/24 at 1:49 AM
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