Oleksandr Usyk confirms David Benavidez fight is on the table

It should come as a shock to no one that Oleksandr Usyk, a former undisputed heavyweight and undisputed cruiserweight champion, is willing to move down to his old stomping grounds to take on David Benavidez.

But on Saturday night at the Christian Mbilli-Canelo Alvarez card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it was still heartening to hear it from Usyk himself.

Ukraine's Usyk, 39, was in attendance at Kingdom Arena for Alvarez's clinical unanimous decision win over reigning super middleweight titleholder Mbilli, presumably at least in part to begin laying the groundwork for another colossal fight.

In a between-fights segment with fight broadcaster DAZN, Usyk was asked why – as had been rumored and was recently explained by Usyk advisor Serhii Lappin – he wanted to return to the 200-pound division.

"Because I clean up the heavyweight [division] and back at my weight," said Usyk, 25-0 (16 KOs).

Usyk, who has twice fought and beaten Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois to collect all the belts at heavyweight and dominate the division through the first half of the 2020s, most recently fought and won an unexpectedly tight decision over former kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, who was making only his second boxing fight.

In that bout, Usyk was not only at his heaviest as a pro (233¼ pounds) but also arguably appeared closer to the end of his career than ever before. While some pegged him for retirement, Usyk has since been gearing up for at least one more significant challenge.

Asked Saturday how much he currently weighs, Usyk said, "Now? Ninety-seven, 96," then pulled up his shirt to reveal a lean torso, thudding it with a fist.

For three-division champion Benavidez, 32-0 (26 KOs), an Usyk matchup would represent a natural bridge to the heavyweight division (where he has increasingly said he is interested in testing the waters) and his first superfight against an all-time great.

Benavidez's claims of being ducked by Alvarez at super middleweight – which are difficult to disprove – and his inability to find right-sized competition has led him up the scale in recent years. Although 29, a decade younger than Usyk, Benavidez has yet to fight an opponent on the level of a two-division undisputed champ.

Usyk relishes an opportunity against Benavidez, widely considered a top-five pound-for-pound fighter, as the heavyweight division enters a transitional period and he creeps closer to his career twilight.

"It is big fight, because Benavidez is big champion," Usyk said, then smiled.

"Me a little bit, too."