David Benavidez Jr. finally checked a critical item off his light heavyweight bucket list in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The WBC World Light Heavyweight champion Benavidez Jr. of Phoenix (31-0, 25 KOs) finally scored his first knockout victory in the division against a game but outgunned challenger Anthony Yarde of England (27-4, 24 KOs).
It was welcome news for Benavidez Jr., nearly as welcome as the victory, saying after the fight it “feels amazing. I’m really happy with this, and I just want to keep training hard.”
Benavidez vs Yarde Delivers Shootout
It was the shootout everyone predicted and hoped for. Benavidez Jr. was the heavy favorite, and while he could have gotten the win without going to war, he felt the pressure to deliver the kind of knockouts that earned him the nickname “Mexican Monster” in the super middleweight division.
The difference was all about the handspeed of Benavidez. His work rate and accuracy had him backing Yarde up to the ropes, forcing him to fight off the back foot. Benavidez was swinging hard with left hooks and clean right-hand connects.
Yarde gave everything he could, and several times he managed to make Benavidez pay for his aggression. Yarde was defensively responsible considering the pace, but Benavidez took the steam out of Yarde, punch by punch, landing shots on Yarde’s guard. Yarde didn’t have the physical size or strength to push Benavidez back, and couldn’t match Benavidez’s punch volume.
By the fifth round, Yarde was slowing down, and his combinations had become single punches. Still, he didn’t give up. He made something of a last stand in the sixth round, beginning with a strong right hook that caught Benavidez Jr. by surprised and backed him up. Yarde unloaded, and the pair traded, with Yarde having his best round of the fight.
It left Yarde with little left to work with. Benavidez continued to unload and forced Yarde into the corner. Going into the seventh round, Yarde’s right eye showed the accumulation of damage.
“Exactly The Fight I Expected”
Benavidez scored a knockdown with a sustained flurry of punches a minute into the round. Benavidez landed the final punch after referee Hector Afu indicated a knockdown, and Yarde complained. After Afu administered the count, he turned around and docked Benavidez a point for the late hit.
It was the right call, but it was all academic. Yarde was in bad shape, and it was only a matter of time. Benavidez pinned Yarde back in the same corner, and Afu only gave the British fighter so much rope before waving off the fight at 1:57 of round seven.
Benavidez vs Yarde Highlights
Benavidez said it was exactly the fight he expected.
“When I signed the contract to fight Anthony Yarde, I said, ‘Oh man, this is gonna be a war.’ This is what I dreamt about, both of us going to war.
“When he caught me in round six, I said, ‘You want a shoot out? Let’s go for it then!’ And you see what I did. He stepped into the Monster world and we got the KO,” said Benavidez.
Benavidez graded his performance a B-plus.
“I think I could have did a little bit of stuff better, but there’s always room for improvement. But people want to see the knockout. They said I couldn’t stop this guy, that I have a problem at 175. I made it look easier than I would say, Kovalev and Beterbiev,” declared Benavidez of the two previous opponents to defeat Yarde.
It was Yarde’s third opportunity to win a title, coming up short previously against Artur Beterbiev and Sergey Kovalev, and now against Benavidez Jr., and it is likely the last opportunity for the 34-year-old Yarde to compete for a title.
Surprise Fight Announcement: Benavidez vs Zurdo Ramirez
Benavidez concluded the Ring IV card with a surprise announcement about his next planned fight.
“I got some news for you guys,” smiled Benavidez. “May 2nd, me versus Zurdo Ramirez. I’m going up to cruiserweight to challenge for his title. I’m excited for that!” Yes, that would be unified WBO/WBA champion Gilberto Ramirez of Mexico.
The announcement was met with cheers, even at 6 a.m. in Riyadh as the card concluded.
While thanking everyone for the opportunity to fight in Saudi Arabia, Benavidez Jr. admitted he wants to fight in front of his fans in the United States next, back in Las Vegas, where he is a major draw. A Mexican on Mexican-American guerra is sure to be a big event on Cinco de Mayo weekend 2026.
And it will be at a much more reasonable hour next time.