What Happened to Anthony David Benavidez?

Anthony David Benavidez, born on December 17, 1996, in Phoenix, Arizona, has carved out a formidable career in professional boxing, earning the moniker "The Mexican Monster" for his aggressive, high-volume punching style. He made his professional debut at the age of 16 in August 2013, quickly accumulating an impressive knockout record.

Benavidez first captured the vacant WBC World Super Middleweight title on September 8, 2017, becoming the youngest super middleweight world champion in history at just 20 years old. However, his early career was marked by disciplinary issues. In September 2018, he was stripped of his WBC title after testing positive for cocaine. He returned to reclaim the WBC Super Middleweight title in September 2019 by knocking out Anthony Dirrell. Another setback occurred in August 2020 when he failed to make weight for a title defense, forcing him to relinquish the belt for a second time without suffering a defeat in the ring.

Despite these challenges, Benavidez demonstrated resilience, securing the Interim WBC Super Middleweight title against David Lemieux in May 2022. He then solidified his position in the super middleweight division with significant victories over Caleb Plant in March 2023 and Demetrius Andrade in November 2023, both by unanimous decision and TKO respectively. Following these wins, Benavidez expressed a strong desire to face undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Álvarez, a fight that has been highly anticipated by fans but has yet to materialize.

In 2024, Benavidez made a successful move to the light heavyweight division, defeating Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the interim WBC Light Heavyweight title in June 2024, despite fighting with a torn tendon in his right hand. He continued his ascent in the division by defeating David Morrell Jr. in February 2025, winning the WBA (Regular) Light Heavyweight title. His status as a full WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion was confirmed in April 2025 after Dmitry Bivol vacated the title. Benavidez successfully defended his WBC and WBA Light Heavyweight titles against Anthony Yarde in November 2025, winning by technical knockout in the 7th round.

As of April 18, 2026, David Benavidez remains undefeated with a perfect record of 31-0 (25 KOs). He is set to make another significant move, challenging unified WBA and WBO Cruiserweight World Champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez on May 2, 2026, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This fight marks his debut at 200 pounds and is a major event during Cinco de Mayo weekend. Benavidez continues to pursue legacy-defining fights, openly challenging top light heavyweights like Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, and still holds out hope for a future clash with Canelo Álvarez, despite the latter's recent comments downplaying the possibility.