On February 1, when David Benavidez clinched victory against David Morrell, he already had his sights set on his next target- whoever emerges victorious in the Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev rematch. Fast forward to February 22—Bivol emerged victorious in his rematch against Beterbiev, and just like that, Benavidez had his answer. But if getting what you want was that easy, boxing would be a walk in the park. And we all know—that’s not how this sport works.
Interestingly, just days after the fight in Riyadh, the WBC stepped in and ordered Dmitry Bivol to defend his titles against David Benavidez. It sounded promising, but as we’ve seen time and again, what’s written on paper doesn’t always translate to reality inside the ring. David Benavidez Sr. has been working hard behind the scenes to make this fight happen, holding onto hope that his son would get his shot. But judging by the latest developments, that dream might be slipping further out of reach.
David Benavidez’s hopes dashed
Yesterday, Everything Boxing shared a post on X. “ BIVOL WILL DO WHAT TURKI WANTS,” the caption read. It shared the conversation Eddie Hearn had with FightHype.com. When asked about the potential match between David Benavidez and Dmitry Bivol, Eddie Hearn revealed, “The David Benavidez fight has never been close.” And not just that. “There’s never been any conversations but it’s a great fight and we don’t rule it out,” he added. Now you may ask why they are not agreeing to the fight. Well, the answer is simple. Everything circles back to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh.
BIVOL WILL DO WHAT TURKI WANTS
Eddie Hearn on Dmitry Bivol’s next move: “[The David Benavidez fight] has never been close. There’s never been any conversations but it’s a great fight and we don’t rule it out. HE has given us 4 fights around the world, particularly in Saudi… pic.twitter.com/eBEmbkOslr
— EverythingBoxing (@EverythingBoxi2) March 14, 2025
Canelo Alvarez recently secured a four-fight deal with HE Turki Alalshikh, a move that left Eddie Hearn beyond grateful. If everything goes as planned, Canelo will face William Scull on May 3. A victory there would set the stage for a blockbuster showdown against Terence Crawford in September. As for the remaining two fights? Those are expected to take place in 2026.
“HE has given us 4 fights around the world, particularly in Saudi Arabia, and great opportunities,” Hearn confessed. And that means, “Whatever he says is next, we will do.” Talk about dedication! “If he wants us to fight Benavidez, we’ll fight Benavidez,” he revealed. However, there is something that Eddie Hearn believed in. What is it? “My gut feeling is he’ll want to make the [Beterbiev] trilogy,” he added.
However, it’s worth noting that Artur Beterbiev could be left frustrated if he doesn’t secure a fight this year. Why? That’s because he moved up a division and proved his worth by winning, only to find himself stuck in limbo. Despite being Canelo Alvarez’s mandatory challenger in super middleweight, Canelo never accepted the fight. Meanwhile, David Benavidez also moved up and put on a tough battle against David Morrell. Now, Dmitry Bivol is Benavidez’s mandatory challenger. But HE Alalshikh seems more interested in a Bivol vs. Beterbiev trilogy.
If that fight comes to fruition, Benavidez will be left with two options: wait it out or move up yet another division, just like he did before. But there’s a twist—Benavidez might already have an opponent in mind. The question is… who?
No Dmitry Bivol? No problem
So, David Benavidez’s team did put a “very large offer” on the table for Dmitry Bivol, hoping to make that fight happen. But Bivol’s camp? They weren’t biting. At least, not yet. And then, things got even more interesting when boxing journalist Dan Rafael shared a statement from Bivol’s promoter, Vadim Kornilov.
Kornilov made it very clear: “We are not close to finalizing Benavidez. We are not close to finalizing anything at this point. We are 2 weeks away from fighting 4 big fights in 1 year’s time. And right now we are just close to our kids and relatives.”
He basically shut down all the rumors about an imminent fight between Bivol and Benavidez, saying that after such a busy year, they’re just focused on spending time with family.
So, where does that leave Benavidez? Well, his father, Jose Benavidez Sr., isn’t too worried. He dropped 10 words on X: “Back in the gym, stay tuned big news coming soon,” he wrote. That means something’s cooking, even if it’s not Bivol just yet.
We may not know yet who the 28-year-old will face next, but chances are, he’s already got a name in mind. That said—who do you think David Benavidez will fight next? Let us know in the comments below.
The post David Benavidez’s Hopes of a Dmitry Bivol Fight Receive Further Setback- “There’s Never Been Any Conversations” appeared first on EssentiallySports.