What to Know
- WBA/WBO unified cruiserweight champion David Benavidez will take on WBC World Cruiserweight champion Michael Cieslak of Poland on Saturday, December 5, at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
- The card also features the long-awaited return of Vergil Ortiz Jr., who moves up to the middleweight division to face former world champion Keith Thurman Jr.
- Rising stars Emiliano Vargas and Marco Romero plus Australia’s Nikita Tszyu all join the fan-friendly card lineup.
Undefeated WBA and WBO World Cruiserweight champion David “El Monstro” Benavidez will fight again in 2026. Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) will take on a high-stakes unification clash against WBC World Cruiserweight champion Michal Cieslak of Poland (28-2, 22 KOs) on Saturday, December 5.
The event leads a PBC Pay-Per-View event available on DAZN through Prime Video from Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Undefeated star Vergil Ortiz Jr. returns after a lengthy absence and will make his middleweight division debut against former unified world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman.
Three exciting next-generation boxing stars who are quickly building fan followings also appear on the card: super lightweight Emiliano “El General” Vargas; rising middleweight star Marco “El Tiburon” Romero; and making his U.S. debut, unbeaten Australian star Nikita Tszyu opens the card in a super welterweight bout.
Tickets for the live event go on sale Friday, October 23 at 12 noon PT through Ticketmaster.com.
Benavidez Return – A Bid for Fighter of the Year?
A three-division world champion, David “El Monstro” Benavidez returns for his first fight back in Arizona since his 2022 destruction of David Lemieux.
The 29-year-old Benavidez made his cruiserweight debut in style on Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, dominating Gilberto Ramirez and stopping him in the sixth round to become the unified cruiserweight champion. This followed his unification at light heavyweight in 2025.
A Phoenix native, Benavidez became the youngest-ever super middleweight world champion at 20, defeating Ronald Gavril by split decision for the vacant WBC title in 2017.
“I’m excited to be fighting in Arizona once again,” said Benavidez. “It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. I’m gonna give the fans in my home state of Arizona a great performance on December 5.”
“‘The Mexican Monster’ David Benavidez hides from no one, and no one can stop him,” said Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing. David has always had my full support for his history-making career. This is his time.”
Michael Cieslak joins a long line of Polish cruiserweight world champions, including Tomasz Adamek, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk and Krzysztof Glowacki.
Cieslak earned his belt with a fourth-round stoppage of former champion Jean Pascal in June 2025 in Pascal’s hometown. He won the interim title and was recently elevated.
Cieslak is riding an impressive seven-fight winning streak, all wins by knockout. His only losses are by a close decision to Ilunga Makabu in 2020 and to Lawrence Okolie in 2022,
“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity my whole life,” said Cieslak. “This is exactly why I’ve been training, to test myself and compete on the biggest stage against fighters like Benavidez.
“I’m confident, but there’s no point in talking nonsense. The focus has to be on hard work. Those who know me understand that I’m not going there just to show up,” insists Cieslak.
Long-Awaited Return of Vergil Ortiz Jr. Against a Familiar Face in Keith Thurman
It will be 13 months since Vergil Ortiz Jr. stopped Erickson Lubin when he makes his ringwalk in Glendale on December 5. The undefeated Ortiz Jr. of Grand Prairie, Texas (24-0, 22 KOs) will shake off his ring rust against the former unified world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman of Clearwater, Florida (31-2, 23 KOs) in a 12-round middleweight.
Trained by Robert Garcia, Ortiz Jr.has dominated his competition with his aggressive style, with notable victories over Maurice Hooker, Egidijus Kavaliauskas and top contender Serhii Bohachuk. In his last two bouts, he defeated Israil Madrimov in a wide decision before taking out former title contender Erickson Lubin in two rounds last November.
“Being the co-main for Benavidez is an honor as I respect him equally as a fighter and a person,” said Ortiz Jr. “It’s gonna be a great night of boxing, and overall I’m just happy to be active again.”
Thurman brings a resume with wins over former champions Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Guerrero in high-profile fights. Thurman had a rough go against Sebastian Fundora last March, just his second loss as a professional. Now he will move up to middleweight to take on Ortiz Jr.
“I’m back with a vengeance!” said Thurman. “I’m bringing the heat in December with an action fight against Vergil Ortiz, another young lion. Fans should really enjoy this one – you know the resume. I fight the best and the gladiator in me is not done yet. Get ready, Christmas is coming early.”
“There’s a reason why Vergil Ortiz Jr. is the most avoided fighter without a belt,” said Golden Boy Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “As a former world champion, Keith Thurman is a crafty, experienced fighter who has been in there with the very best and will give Vergil some good rounds.”
Emiliano Vargas: Second Generation Talent
Emiliano Vargas of Las Vegas (18-0, 15 KOs) is still early in his career, but he has the skills and the charisma to make it easy to picture him as a future world champion like his father Fernando Vargas.
Vargas hopes to notch his third knockout win of 2025 in December.
“This year has been a true blessing for me,” said Vargas. “I want to end this year on a high note by delivering a spectacular performance for my people and showing why I am ready to take on the biggest challenges of my career. Everything I’ve experienced this year motivates me to keep working even harder. ‘El General’ is coming with everything he’s got—and the best is yet to come!”
Marco Romero Keeps Busy and Keeps Impressing
Just one week ago, Marco Romero of Overland Park, Kanas (16-0, 14 KOs) scored an impressive one punch knockout of Matias Ferreira on October 17.
He plans to build on his momentum on the December 5 card. Romero has gained top-level experience after recently making his second training visit to Montreal to spar with super middleweight champions Christian Mbilli and Osleys Iglesias.
“I’m excited to come right back, which shows me how much PBC believes in me, especially by putting me on another big card like this,” said Romero. “Being on his card because so many Latinos will be there or watching because of Benavidez can only help me. A platform like this is perfect for me.”
Nikita Tszyu Eager to Introduce Himself to American Fans
The son of former unified champion Kostya and younger brother of former champion Tim Tszyu, Nikita Tszyu (12-0-1, 10 KOs) looks to carry his family’s legacy. The 28-year-old Sydney native has beaten previously undefeated Lulzim Ismaili and Oscar Diaz, and owns a stoppage win over Koen Mazoudier.
“To be on a massive David Benavidez card is truly an honor. He’s the most exciting fighter in the world. He comes forward, he hurts people, and he never gives anyone an easy night. That’s the kind of fighting I respect,” said Tszyu. “Arizona is also where my father had his last victory, so it holds an important place in my heart. It will be special to write the next chapter of our family’s story there.”
Opponents for Vargas, Romero, and Tszyu will be named later.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
