David Benavidez will be debuting on a Riyadh Season card in November when he defends his WBC light-heavyweight title against British challenger Anthony Yarde. While no venue or date have yet been determined, the two have reportedly agreed to a world title bout as part of a Riyadh Season event ― though it has not yet been confirmed whether the two will be headlining at the upcoming show.
Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24 KO’s) is no stranger to world title challenges, having fought for a world title on two prior occasions, first against then-WBO light-heavyweight (175 lbs) champion Sergey Kovalev (36-5-1, 30 KO’s) in 2019. Four years later, Yarde faced then-unified champion [WBC, WBO & IBF] Artur Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KO’s) for his 175 lbs titles.
Thoroughly experienced as a result, Yarde provides a potentially difficult yet manageable challenge for current WBC 175-pound champion David Benavidez (30-0, 24 KO’s) who will be defending the title for the first time after being elevated from interim champion earlier this year.
Benavidez, 28, doesn’t lack for experience himself given his achievements allowed him to become a two-time world champion at super middleweight (168 lbs). Though he has had only two fights at 175 pounds, the American fighter has notched two good wins ― beating a former world champion in Ukrainian contender Oleksandr Gvodzyk to become the WBC interim 175 lbs champion. Benavidez would further cement his status as a top contender after defeating 168-pound rival David Morrell in the first defense of his interim belt.
As mentioned by General Entertainment Authority (GEA) chairman Turki Alalshikh ― who also heads Riyadh Season in that capacity, Benavidez will be making his Riyadh Season debut:
“‘The Mexican Monster’ David Benavidez will be making his Riyadh Season debut in the month of November, when he defends the WBC light heavyweight world title against dangerous challenger Anthony Yarde,” Alalshikh posted on social media earlier today.
Joining the likes of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) stablemates David Morrell and Carlos Adames, Benavidez’ Riyadh Season debut marks a substantial shift in the sport with one of PBC’s most well-known fighters now crossing over. Known for staging fights between solely their own fighters, PBC no longer appears to have the same influence it did.
Notably, Benavidez’ inclusion on a Riyadh Season show follows just a couple months after Turki Alalshikh had indicated plans to shut Benavidez out of a title fight with Dmitry Bivol after the WBC ordered Dmitry Bivol (24-1, 12 KO’s) to defend against mandatory challenger Benavidez. Bivol is still expected to face Beterbiev in a trilogy bout as the unified light-heavyweight champion later this year or in 2026.
Based on the result of the still-unconfirmed Bivol-Beterbiev III bout, Alalshikh may yet order the winner to face the winner of the upcoming Benavidez-Yarde bout. Potentially, even, the Benavidez-Yarde fight could perfectly align with the Bivol-Beterbiev bout as it could transpire on the same card.
On its own, the Benavidez-Yarde fight represents the competiveness that has become a staple for Riyadh Season or The Ring cards and further provides an interesting clash between two fighters with distinctive styles and plenty of experience between them.
