Fight fans have ponied up for way too many pay-per-view cards in 2025. Finally, we get one that’s worth the price tag on Saturday, the Ring IV card headlined by Benavidez vs Yarde from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The card airs starting with early prelims at 3 p.m. ET/12 noon PT, and the four fight PPV portion at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, available on DAZN PPV at $69.95. For once, it’s a good value.
Four title fights are in the mix, leading with the light heavyweight fight between Benavidez and Yarde at the top of the ticket. The four matchups are relatively even. It’s been some time since we’ve been able to say this.
Several years into the arrival of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority in professional boxing, fans now look forward to blockbuster cards in the last few weeks of the year as part of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia, and this one can legitimately be described as stacked.
On the undercard, the showdown between WBO World Welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. and former two-division champion Devin Haney could top nearly any other lineup.
If you love the smaller weight divisions like I do, pound-for-pound talent Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is also worthy of a main event, but we will happily settle for his fight against Fernando Martinez in a supporting role.
Cleveland lightweight Abdullah Mason, considered the future of American boxing, will get his first shot at a title against Sam Noakes of Great Britain.
We’ll do the math for you: seven of the eight opponents are undefeated, with a total of 186 wins and three losses, including 141 knockouts.
Benavidez vs Yarde Looking for KO
In the main event, the WBC World Light Heavyweight title is on the line for Benavidez of Phoenix (30-0, 24 KOs) and challenger Yarde of England (27-3, 24 KOs). One look at the knockout ratios of both men tells you it’s going to be a banger and not likely to go the distance. This would be welcome news for Benavidez, who has yet to score a knockout in the light heavyweight division.
Benavidez said he’s had his eye on Yarde for some time and characterized him as a solid opponent. This pair has no need for any trash talk (and others on the card have more than filled the quota).
This is Yarde’s third opportunity to win a title. He came up short against Artur Beterbiev and Sergey Kovalev, no shame there. He avenged his only other loss against Lyndon Arthur. At age 34, Yarde knows this could be his last opportunity.
“I’m just ready to fight. The past doesn’t matter. It’s only the present and the future. I’m excited,” said Yarde. “Taking home the victory is all I’ve been visualizing. I want to do it in an explosive and exciting way. It’ll make for a great story,” said Yarde of the matchup against the Mexican Monster.
That monster has no intention of making it easy. “Nobody is taking anything from me,” declared Benavidez Jr., who came in well under the 175-pound limit at 174.3 pounds. Yarde weighed in at 173.5 pounds.
“I’ve been training really hard for this fight. I’m eager to get in the ring to see what Anthony Yarde is all about, and I’m excited to feel his power,” said Benavidez Jr.
“I want to give the fans a great fight. There’s a lot of great talent on this card, but I’m going to steal the show and have the best fight of the night. David Benavidez will have the best fight of the night, and I’m going to walk out with both my titles.”
Norman vs Haney Have A Score to Settle
The co-main event is a spicy All-American matchup between WBA World Welterweight champion Norman Jr. of Atlanta (28-0, 22 KOs) and two-division former world champion Haney of Las Vegas (32-0, 15 KOs) betting on himself in his first fight in the division.
“This is a dream come true of mine,” said Haney. “A dream come true to be fighting for another World Title. This is not my first rodeo, so it won’t be anything different. I look to bring back the WBO title back home to my family and my team.”
Norman Jr. said his time has come. “Of course, he has done wonderful things and what he had going on ,but it’s time for another face to come up and do his own thing. That’s where Brian Norman Jr. steps in.”
Haney’s polarizing father/trainer, Bill Haney, has no hesitation speaking his mind and standing up for his son. (For the record, we love Bill). Norman Jr. is also trained by his father, Brian Norman Sr. It was the two dads who riled things up throughout fight week.
Haney has his detractors, but he deserves credit for taking on every big name available to him: Linares, Gamboa, Kambosos Jr., Lomachenko, Prograis, and infamously, Ryan Garcia who stopped Haney, but was popped for PEDs and the fight turned into a no contest. He is still just 27 years old and he is eager to start the next chapter.
Norman Jr. sent a shockwave into the division when he put a beatdown on Giovani Santillan, who was undefeated and considered a title challenger until Norman Jr. got through with him. Norman Jr. proved it was no fluke with two knockout wins against Derrieck Cuevas and Jin Sasaki on enemy turf in Japan.
“This belt on my shoulder – I came in with it and I’ll walk out with it, too. Everyone will respect me after this one, just watch,” said Norman Jr.
The outcome will depend largely on what version of Haney shows up. If he can successfully box Norman Jr. at range, he can win. If Norman Jr. can bully Haney, it could be rough going for “The Dream.”
Super Flyweight Fireworks in Unification Battle
For sheer action guaranteed, unified WBC/WBO Super Flyweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez of San Antonio, Texas (22-0, 15 KOs) will try to add the WBA and Ring Magazine titles to his collection against WBA title holder Fernando “Puma” Martinez of Argentina (18-0, 9 KOs).
Rodriguez has roared through the division since taking his upset victory on short notice against Carlos Cuadras in 2022 for his first title at age 22. He then dethroned Srisikat Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada, and continues to blow through his opponents. The fight with Martinez has been on Bam’s radar and it came together surprisingly quickly.
“You’ll see why (Matchroom Sport chairman and promoter) Eddie Hearn just said what he said about me,” said Rodriguez. “I’m a special fighter, and I’m going to go out there and prove that to everyone once again..”
Rodriguez is a new father to son Milo, born on Thursday in Texas. He had to participate via FaceTime, a possibility he knew might happen when the fight was made. His children are his motivation. “I’m going to take that belt and take these belts back to my children and that’s that.”
Martinez is a typically brash Argentine personality who oozes confidence. “He’s never faced a ‘Puma’ Martinez from Argentina and he’s never faced a ferocious ‘Puma’ from Argentina who’s going to eat up ‘Bam’ Rodriguez on Saturday night,” firmly predicting a knockout.
Mason and Noakes Want To Make Their Mark
In the opener, former Prospect of the Year Mason of Cleveland (19-0, 17 KOs) takes on Noakes of England (17-0, 15 KOs) with the vacant WBO World Lightweight title at stake.
Mason has been the buzz ever since his signing by Top Rank Boxing, and big things have been predicted for the 21-year-old, who would become the youngest current champion with a win. For both fighters, the matchup is by far their highest-level challenge.
Noakes doesn’t mind all the attention going to Mason.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me being the underdog. All that means is that everyone betting on me is going to win a nice bit of money, doesn’t it?” laughed Noakes.
Mason, who famously survived two first-round knockdowns to win a second-round knockout, said it demonstrated the kind of resilient fighter he’s become. “I’m going to be dominating the lightweight division from Saturday night on forward.
“We’re going to cook tomorrow night. We’re going to eat,” promised Mason. “I have an appetite for smoke, so let’s see Saturday night.”
Notes From the Undercard: Mielnicki Jr. In Action
On the before the bell undercard, Vito Mielnicki Jr. of New Jersey (21-1, 12 KOs) takes on Samuel Nmomah of Italy (21-0, 5 KOs) in a ten-round WBO middleweight eliminator. Both men are fighting outside their home nations for the first time.
Our Interview with Vito Mielnicki Jr.
Mohammed Alakel of Riyadh (6-0, 1 KO) represents the home country in a head-to-head six-round super featherweight bout against Jiaming Li of China (7-5, 4 KOs), the only ‘showcase’ fight for the promising Saudi prospect trained by veteran California based Abel Sanchez.