WBC light heavyweight champion David “The Mexican Monster” Benavidez (pictured) is excited about taking over next Cinco de Mayo weekend to face WBA / WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez-- not only because he’ll be vying to become a three-division champion, but also for the history-making aspect of two proud Mexican warriors competing for the cruiserweight world championship for the first time in history. Fresh off his seventh-round TKO victory over Anthony Yarde in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) is next scheduled to meet Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) on May 2, 2026, at T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Many fans want Benavidez to face the lineal world light heavyweight champion Dmitrii Bivol or former three-belt champion Artur Beterbiev rather than Ramirez. However, Benavidez’s longtime promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing wishes to remind fans of some facts concerning the choice to face Zurdo instead.

“After waiting so long for [former world super middleweight champion] Canelo Alvarez, only to have him avoid us at all costs, David will wait for no one ever again,” said Lewkowicz. “We offered Bivol $8 million to face David last year, and he chose to vacate the WBC title a day before a scheduled purse bid rather than face him. Beterbiev is coming off a loss, so other than money, he brings nothing to table. Besides, David wanted the winner of rematch, not the loser. David would stop Beterbiev. No doubt in my mind and has already dropped Bivol with headgear and big gloves. David is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but he won’t talk about it. He will show it, fight after fight.”

Lewkowicz also wants fans to know their wish will be granted in the near future. “The WBA has guaranteed us that David is the mandatory for the Bivol/Beterbiev winner,” he added. “Bivol will have to act like a ‘Russian Canelo’ and vacate another title to avoid facing David. He doesn’t want to fight because he knows when they sparred, David put a beating on him and dropped him. He has zero chance of beating David. That I promise you. He has no power to keep David off him, and he will take a brutal beating!”

Benavidez has already held world championships in two weight classes, the WBA regular (secondary) light heavyweight title since February 2025 and the WBC light heavyweight title since April 2025. Previously, he held the WBC super middleweight title twice between 2017 and 2020. And, by claiming his first world title at 20 years, and eight months old, Benavidez holds the record as the youngest super middleweight world champion in history.