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David Benavidez Looks To Make History In Cruiserweight
Debut Headlining Cinco De Mayo Weekend Action This Saturday
Undefeated two-division champion David “El Monstro”
Benavidez will look to make history as he jumps up to the
cruiserweight division to headline a stacked Cinco de Mayo
weekend against unified WBA and WBO Cruiserweight World
Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in the main event of a PBC
Pay-Per-View available on Prime Video this Saturday, May 2
from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The 29-year-old Benavidez can become the first fighter to
win full world titles at 168, 175 and 200 pounds if he can
grab the belts from Ramirez in a first-of-its-kind Mexico
vs. Mexico matchup that will also serve as Benavidez’s first
foray into the cruiserweight division.
"Continuing to move up and challenge world champions shows
everyone that I'm serious about what I do, and that I
believe in my skills 100%,” said Benavidez. “Making more
history on May 2 would mean the world to me. At this point
in my life, I just want to reach greatness. Winning these
titles will definitely put me back in position to continue
to push for more greatness. I'm just really happy with where
I'm at in my career, and with all the risks I'm taking,
because I believe it will all pay off when my career is all
said and done.”
With this move up in weight, Benavidez plans to use the
extra weight to his advantage, and combine newfound power
with the speed and combination punching that’s made him so
devastating at super middleweight and light heavyweight.
"I feel like this weight is definitely gonna help me,” said
Benavidez. “Once you get to this weight, the punches are
bigger. When you combine that power with my speed, I bring
something to the cruiserweight division that hasn't been
seen since James Toney. My speed is superb and it's just on
a different level. This is gonna be the best David Benavidez
that you see.”
Trained in Miami and then Las Vegas leading into May,
Benavidez also explained how he’ll be entering this fight
with no concerns about making weight for the first time and
detailed how that will help him be at his best on May 2.
"My training camp hasn't really changed, but this is the
most stress-free I've ever been,” said Benavidez. “Training
is always gonna be hard, but I got to the weight a week ago
already. I've never been in a position where I don't have to
worry about the weight, and that's gonna make me more
dangerous.
“When you cut weight you're running like seven miles every
single day. Right now I don't have to run at all. I don't
have to deplete myself, and I can use that extra energy in
the fight.”
The reigning WBC and WBA champion at light heavyweight,
Benavidez does believe that one day he’ll eventually try to
make a run at a heavyweight title. However, that time is not
now as his intent is still to go back to 175-pounds and
unify all the titles.
"A heavyweight title would be great for my legacy, but I'm
not interested in that right now,” said Benavidez. “If I go
up to heavyweight, that will be later in my career. I want
to go back down to 175 and win all the rest of the belts and
reign there for a little bit. I definitely think heavyweight
is in my future, but not right now."
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