David Benavidez says his next target is Dmitry Bivol, and nothing else is close. Fresh off a sixth-round stoppage of Gilberto Ramirez earlier this month at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Benavidez said he wants the chance to chase Bivol’s belts and the recognition that comes with them.
Benavidez stepped up to 200lbs and beat Ramirez to win the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, becoming a three-weight world champion in the process. He has already held world honours at super middleweight and still owns the WBC light heavyweight title, which has made his next move one of the sport’s most watched decisions.
For now, though, he is not looking beyond Bivol. “I set these goals out for myself. Bivol is really the only fight I want, that I truly want. He has all the belts… I really want those belts. I want those accolades. That’s the only thing I want right now,” Benavidez said. “I’m not thinking about Opetaia, I’m not thinking about none of these guys, because this is the fight I want. It makes sense for both of us.”
The timing gives the matchup some real shape. Bivol last fought in February 2025, when he defeated Artur Beterbiev, and he returns later this month to defend his IBF, WBA and WBO belts against Michael Eifert. A win there could open the door to Benavidez, whose name has already been linked to Bivol by the champion’s trainer.
That same camp has also added a sharper edge to the talk. Bivol’s trainer recently said someone needs to “shut his mouth,” a line that only added heat to the pairing. Promoter Eddie Hearn, meanwhile, has said a loose agreement to honor a trilogy would come before other match-ups for Bivol, a reminder that boxing’s biggest fights are often as much about leverage as they are about demand.
Benavidez has other paths on the table too, including a cruiserweight meeting with Jai Opetaia and even a move to heavyweight to face unified king Oleksandr Usyk. But after winning at 200lbs and adding another belt to his résumé, he has made his preference plain: Bivol is the fight that matters most, and the winner of the next few weeks may decide whether boxing gets it.
