Benavidez: Canelo Might Accept My Challenge

Former two-time WBC super middleweight champion, American “Red Flag” David Benavídez (28-0, 24 KOs), recently told the media that current four-division world champion Saul “Canelo” Álvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) might consider taking on his mandatory challenge, as Saudi Arabia is reportedly offering Álvarez a purse of $200 million.

David Benavídez stated, “I feel like this fight is going to happen soon. I don’t know when exactly, but it seems more hopeful than before. I believe Canelo will eventually get that $200 million, and that’s why our fight will take place. This is great news for us. I’ll be training hard and preparing thoroughly, ready to seize the opportunity when it comes. When we initially negotiated with Canelo, they said they would give me $5 million, and I was fine with that. The money doesn’t matter much to me in fights like these. What’s important is that I do my job 100%, and then the money and recognition will follow. So, even if I have to take a loss financially, I’ll take on this big fight. Once I beat Canelo, I’ll become a PPV star, and he’ll want a rematch.”

Benavídez continued, “Regardless of how absurd Canelo’s demands are, I hope we can make the fight happen. If Canelo truly isn’t afraid of me, there shouldn’t be any catchweight agreement. There wasn’t one for his fight against Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs). If Canelo wants a rehydration clause, I can accept that, but no catchweight, as it’s already a struggle for me to stay at 168 pounds. If he’s confident in his skills, let’s do it – it’s a test for both of us.”

David Benavídez added, “I’ve proven myself at 168 pounds, and I’ve earned the right to challenge Canelo. If I can’t secure that fight, there’s no point in staying at that weight. I’d like to move up to 175 pounds and face Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KOs) – that would be a perfect opportunity. My goal is to become a world champion at 168, 175, and 200 pounds, and then I’ll consider venturing into the heavyweight division.”