David Benavidez Discusses Showdown With Zurdo Ramirez

By Miguel Maravilla

Undefeated two-division world champion David “El Monstruo” Benavidez looks to add another title to his collection as he makes his cruiserweight debut against unified WBA and WBO champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez of Mazatlán, Mexico. Benavidez faces Zurdo Ramirez on Saturday, May 2, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, live on PBC on Prime PPV.

“I’m very excited, man. It’s going to be a great matchup. I will be making history—this will be my first time fighting on Cinco de Mayo weekend,” David Benavidez told Fightnews.com. “I’m working hard and ready,” he added.

Benavidez headlines the festive Cinco de Mayo weekend for the first time—a boxing tradition that dates back to the Julio Cesar Chavez pay-per-view days. He reminisced about watching some of those fights during his childhood.

“I’m very excited. It feels good. This is a date I’ve been trying to get for a long time. Basically, every time a fighter headlines on May 5th or September 16th, it’s a sign that you’ve captured the Mexican audience. I want to be the biggest fighter in all of boxing—this is the start,” Benavidez said. “There were so many fights. I remember De La Hoya–Mayweather. There have been a lot of great fights, and I’ve been watching boxing since I was a kid. I’m just happy and proud to be a part of that now.”

Making the jump to cruiserweight, Benavidez looks to add to his legacy. He has already captured titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight, winning his first world title in 2017 by edging out Jason Gavril for the WBC super middleweight title. Last year, Benavidez moved up to light heavyweight and won the WBC title, and now he targets Zurdo’s belts.

“This fight represents a lot for me. Winning these titles makes me a three-division world champion. This is a big moment in my life. It’s showing everything I set out to be, and I want to be the face of boxing and give the fans what they want to see,” Benavidez explained.

Wrapping up camp in Las Vegas, Benavidez is nearing the end of preparation. This camp has been different, as he no longer has to cut weight after moving up to cruiserweight. He has been training with his longtime trainer and father, Jose Benavidez, as they prepare for Zurdo.

“Camp has been going great. Everything has been good—we’ve been working hard. We got to Las Vegas last week and have been putting in work. This fight is going to feel different because I haven’t had to lose weight. This is going to be me at my best.”

With no bad blood, Benavidez and Zurdo have the utmost respect for each other, having shared several camps dating back to Benavidez’s youth. Zurdo is coming off a unanimous decision win over Yunier Dorticos last June. He also won the WBO title with a unanimous decision over Chris Billam-Smith and is set to make his second defense. His only defeat came against Dmitry Bivol in 2022, and he enters this fight on a four-fight win streak.

“There is a lot of history between me and Zurdo. I sparred him when I was 17—that was the first time—but I’ve sparred hundreds of rounds with him. He’s a great fighter. I know him really well—I know his strengths and weaknesses. I’m looking to expose all that. There’s a lot of respect, no hatred. He’s a good dude, but at the end of the day, I’m going to try and knock him out,” Benavidez said.

The undefeated Benavidez scored a seventh-round stoppage over Anthony Yarde in his last fight this past November in Riyadh. Last year, he also defeated the previously undefeated David Morrell.

“I will try to beat the shit out of him during the fight. I see it as kill or be killed. You don’t play boxing. I’m not going to look at him as my friend. I don’t expect him to take it easy. We will leave it all in the ring,” Benavidez said.

Attempting to win his third world title in a third weight division, Benavidez brings excitement to the cruiserweight division, which also includes undefeated Jai Opetaia, WBC champion Noel Mikaelian, and Chris Billam-Smith.

“I think what I bring to the table is something different. Cruiserweights can’t punch like me. I’m not going to rely only on power—I will use defense and combinations. I’m one of the fastest fighters in boxing today. So imagine me at cruiserweight—I’ll use these skills and attributes to get the victory.”

After winning his first world title at super middleweight, Benavidez captured his second title in 2024 with a decision over Oleksandr Gvozdyk to win the WBC light heavyweight title. He now attempts to dethrone Zurdo.

“A victory pushes me to the next level—champion in three divisions. It shows that I’m fearless. I want to fight the best,” Benavidez said.

Benavidez was also asked about the possibility of moving up to heavyweight in the future.

“I wouldn’t go to heavyweight right now. I still have some unfinished business at cruiserweight. I want to become a unified champion at 175. I want to fight Beterbiev. I also want to unify at cruiserweight. There are a lot of fights out there. Heavyweight is out of my reach for now—I’m barely 29. Maybe at 35, but right now I’m focused on capturing titles at light heavyweight or cruiserweight,” Benavidez stated. “Cruiserweight is different now—we have some great fighters like Zurdo Ramirez and Jai Opetaia. Those are two great fights to be made. Beating those guys would put the division on lock. I’m trying to build my legacy.”

When asked about a potential showdown with Jai Opetaia, Benavidez responded:

“The only other challenge is Jai Opetaia. I give him his credit—he’s a great fighter with a lot of power. He’s the other big threat. But there are obstacles to making that fight because he’s with Zuffa Boxing. They’ve made it clear they don’t want to work with the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO. So that’s a hurdle. It’s a big fight, but right now I’m not sure what’s going on.”

And then there is Canelo.

“The way I see it, if it happens, I’m happy. If it doesn’t, I’m still happy. It doesn’t define me. At the end of the day, it’s not all about Canelo—but it would be a shame if we left that fight on the table,” Benavidez said.

As he continues building his legacy, Benavidez remains focused on his upcoming showdown with Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, now just weeks away. This bout will mark the first time two Mexican fighters face off for a cruiserweight world title.

“You can expect the best David Benavidez. I can’t wait to perform on May 2,” Benavidez concluded. “We’re also going to make history—this is the first time two Mexicans will fight for the cruiserweight title.”

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