David Benavidez has no shortage of HUGE fights on his radar. In an exclusive interview with BoxingScene, Jose Benavidez Sr. makes it clear that David still wants the biggest names at 175lbs including Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. Benavidez has previously said those are two fights he wants to make as he pursues more titles and major challenges. But there’s another name that could make things very interesting: Andy Ruiz Jr. Jose discusses the possibility of an all-Mexican showdown between Benavidez and the former heavyweight champion, along with David’s plans across multiple divisions. And with a potential Jai Opetaia showdown also building after the pair came face-to-face following Opetaia’s latest victory, Benavidez has some massive options ahead.
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Arely Mucino and Gabriela Fundora used the extra time allotted to reach a deal for their ordered clash.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that enough progress was made between the two camps where the IBF agreed to cancel a purse bid hearing for the mandatory flyweight title fight. The matter was due to be the subject of a hearing held Tuesday at IBF headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey but is no longer on the schedule.
Neither a date nor location were confirmed for the bout, though Boxing Scene has learned that mid-to-late October is the likely time frame.
Mucino-Fundora was first ordered on July 13, though originally with the disclaimer that the mandatory was due to take place by July 29. The deadline was specifically nine months from when Mucino (32-3-2, 11KOs) claimed the IBF belt in a well-earned, split decision victory over then-unbeaten champ Leonela Paola Yudica last October 29 in San Diego, California.
The two sides could not come to terms within the prescribed deadline, which prompted a purse bid hearing. The two-week period between the deadline and the scheduled purse bid was enough time to satisfy both parties.
Mucino has won eleven straight, which included a WBO title reign that ended due to the unkind combination of an injury and the pandemic which left her out of the ring for nearly two years. The 34-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico has since fought twice each in 2021 and 2022 capped by her win over Yudica to become a four-time flyweight titlist.
Fundora (11-0, 4KOs) has quickly risen to contention. The 21-year-old southpaw—whose older brother Sebastian Fundora is a top junior middleweight—turned pro in May 2021 and already advanced to the ten-round level by last October.
The most notable win to date came for Fundora in her most recent appearance, when she overcame a cut to outpoint former title challenger Maria Santizo over eight rounds on April 8 in Carson, California. The win came on the undercard of Sebastian’s stunning one-punch knockout loss to Brian Mendoza, the second time in six months that the two appeared on the same show.
Mucino is also part of a proud boxing family. Her husband is Angel ‘Tito’ Acosta, a former WBO junior flyweight titlist. They are both trained by Joel Diaz out of his facility in Indio, California, mere minutes from Fundora’s Coachella hometown.
The winner of the mandatory title fight will be in prime position to next challenge for the undisputed crown.
The rest of the divisional hardware is owned by lineal, WBC, WBA and WBO champ Marlen Esparza, who is currently ordered to face former titlist Gabriela Alaniz in a rematch. Esparza won their July 8 unification bout by majority decision in San Antonio, Texas. A second fight was ordered by the WBO upon a successful appeal filed by Alaniz due to questionable scores turned in by judges Esther Lopez (97-93) and especially Javier Alvarez (99-91).
Esparza is promoted by Golden Boy, who co-promotes Mucino along with Promociones Miguel Cotto.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
