What to Know
- In advance of his upcoming cruiserweight unification fight on December 5, David Benavidez showed off his ring skills and met with fans in Phoenix.
- Benavidez will defend his WBA and WBO titles against WBC World Cruiserweight champion Michael Cieslak of Poland.
- Benavidez says he is determined to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion in 2027.
Undefeated Mexican superstar and unified WBA and WBO Cruiserweight World champion David “El Monstro” Benavidez showed off his skills in his hometown of Phoenix on Saturday and met his fans at the Gila River Resorts and Casino at Vee Quiva as he prepares for his upcoming unification fight on December 5.
Benavidez will face WBC Cruiserweight World champion Michal Cieslak of Poland in a high-stakes unification title fight on Saturday, December 5 in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions Pay-Per-View event from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The fight card will be available on DAZN through Prime Video.
David Benavidez Thanks His Fans
Fast becoming one of the most well-known and admired boxers worldwide, Benavidez has a strong fan following in the southwestern United States, especially in his hometown.
Benavidez’s Arizona homecoming will see the 29-year-old two-division champion seek his third cruiserweight world championship title against Cieslak (28-2, 22 KOs). The showdown Is the first fight for Benavidez back in Arizona since he faced David Lemieux of Ontario, Canada in 2022 at super middleweight.
Tickets for the live event are on sale now and available through Ticketmaster.com.
Quick Rise To The Top of the Cruiserweight Division
Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) made his cruiserweight debut in style this past Cinco de Mayo Weekend, dominating then champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on his way to an emphatic sixth-round stoppage.
The victory follows his breakout year in 2025 with a win over his rival and then unbeaten David Morrell Jr. of Cuba by unanimous decision for the WBA interim light heavyweight title, and the WBC interim light heavyweight title earned in 2024 against former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk of Ukraine.
Benavidez discussed his upcoming bout in December, and his aspirations beyond a win on December 5.
“This is ‘Monstro’s’ world. I have arrived, and I’m not going anywhere, said Benavidez.
The Phoenix native thanked all his fans who have supported him for years. “I’m really grateful for the people of Arizona. Having a Phoenix native getting into the ring here in a three-belt unification is historic. I’m happy to be representing Phoenix just like I always do, no matter where I am.’
Benavidez Staying Hungry
Thirteen years into his career, after turning pro at 16 in Mexico and with plenty of ups and downs, Benavidez said he hasn’t lost his hunger for achievement.
“My mindset and my focus is the same for every fight. I’m attacking every training camp with ferocity and viciousness because that’s what I want to show in the fight. I want to take these fighters apart and make a statement to everybody. I’m not playing with anyone,” insisted Benavidez.
After competing at super middleweight for the first 11 years, admittedly struggling to make weight in his final fights, Benavidez jumped to light heavyweight where he was better able to display his power first against Gvozdyk, then Morrell, and finally scoring an impressive knockout over Anthony Yarde of England.
Benavidez then surprised the boxing community by jumping up to the cruiserweight division against unified champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in May. Benavidez dominated the well-regarded champion, stopping him with a sixth-round knockout.
“I got two belts in my first fight at cruiserweight, and now I’m going for a third. Me being undisputed is inevitable,” vowed Benavidez. “I’m going to make my way to the top of the pound-for-pound list very soon. I will be number one.”
“The past three years, because I’ve been facing top opposition,” pointed out Benavidez. “I’ve been able to sharpen up my style and my skills. I’m working a lot on combinations, defense and body shots, but particularly the jab. The jab opens doors, but it closes doors as well.
The Path to Undisputed
With a win in December, Benavidez will work toward a fight with WBA World Cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia of Australia. Benavidez and Opetaia verbally agreed to the matchup after Opetaia’s September victory over Noel Mikaelian in Las Vegas.
Potential stumbling blocks include Opetaia’s promotional contract with Zuffa Boxing. Sanctioning organizations are navigating tricky relationships with Zuffa and its bombastic CEO, Dana White, who originally vowed he wouldn’t work with the existing title organizations. The IBF stripped Opetaia of his title after his first fight under Zuffa.
In just a few weeks, on December 12, one week after Benavidez fights Cieslak, Opetaia will face former world champion Deontay Wilder of the United States in a heavyweight bout on the Fury vs Joshua card at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
In the meantime, Benavidez has set these issues aside to focus on the assignment in front of him in a few weeks.
“I’m always the kind of fighter who has plans A, B, and C. So if (Cieslak) wants to complicate things in the first couple of rounds, then I have plans to stop whatever it is that he’s doing well,” said Benavidez.
“The biggest challenge with Cieslak is that he’s coming into this fight defending his title for the first time. Every fighter has that motivation after winning the title that you really don’t wanna let it go. He’s gonna come in strong, but I don’t run away from any competition.”
Benavidez said the event on Saturday was a thank you to all the people who have supported him over many years.
“This workout is a way for me to give back to the community and show love to the people here. It’s something fun that we don’t do every day. I’m thrilled we were able to make this happen for the people,” said Benavidez, who took photos with every fan who asked and signed a endless string of autographs for the delighted attendees.
Benavidez vs Cieslak Card Viewing Details
Benavidez vs. Cieslak airs on DAZN PPV through Prime Video on Saturday, December 5. The pay-per-view begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Cost is $79.99 or free for DAZN Ultimate subscribers.
The pay-per-view co-main event features the return of undefeated Vergil Ortiz Jr. against former unified world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman in a 12-round middleweight fight.
The pay-per-view will also see a trio of rising stars in separate bouts. Undefeated super lightweight Emiliano “El General” Vargas faces contender Omar Juarez in a 10-round bout.
Unbeaten Australian star Nikita Tszyu makes his American debut in a 10-round super welterweight fight against Roberto Valenzuela Jr.
Finally, rising middleweight prospect Marco “El Tiburon” Romero returns to action in the eight-round opening bout against Cruse Stewart.
Tickets for the live event are on sale now and available through Ticketmaster.com.
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.
