LAS VEGAS — On Thursday, David Benavidez made the rounds at the press center inside the MGM Grand, a wide smile on his face. Ordinarily, fight weeks are grueling for Benavidez. He’s either squeezing his 6' 3" frame down to 168-pounds, as he did between 2016 and ’23, or 175, as he has since ’24. This week, Benavidez has some more, uh, eating room, as he prepares to challenge Gilberto Ramírez for the unified cruiserweight (200-pound limit) championship. “David Benavidez cutting weight was a dangerous monster,” said Benavidez. “So now when I don’t got to cut weight, I’m just really excited.”
A throng of cameras followed Benavidez as he made his way between interviews. This is something Benavidez wanted, too. The attention. The spotlight. The vibe of what comes with a big fight. At 168-pounds, Benavidez chased Canelo Alvarez, then the reigning undisputed king. At 175, he hunted Dmitry Bivol. He’s had success: wins over Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade at 168, a title at 175. But the big events have eluded him.
