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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Former welterweight contender Radzhab Butaev is scheduled to return to the ring after more than a year and a half away.
Butaev, 15-1 (12 KOs), will fight Jose Miguel Borrego on July 19 in Moscow, Russia, according to a social media post shared by Bxstrs Promotions, which works with Borrego.
The bout will take place at junior middleweight.
Russia’s Butaev is a 31 year old living in California. In 2019 he lost a unanimous decision to Alexander Besputin, but that result was overturned when Besputin tested positive for a banned substance.
Toward the end of 2021 he won the WBA’s secondary “regular” welterweight title with a ninth-round TKO of Jamal James. He lost the belt one fight later, dropping a split decision to Eimantas Stanionis on the April 2022 undercard of Errol Spence-Yordenis Ugas (Stanionis was eventually upgraded to the WBA’s primary titleholder in August 2024 before being defeated in a unification bout with Jaron “Boots” Ennis earlier in 2025).
A fight between Butaev and Egidijus Kavaliauskas, planned for April 2023, never took place. Butaev instead returned after nearly 19 months of inactivity with a stoppage of the 11-1 Fazliddin Gaibnazarov in November 2023.
By the time Butaev steps in with Borrego, it will mark 20 months since his past bout.
Borrego, a 27 year old from Mexico, is 22-4 (18 KOs) – or 25-5 (20 KOs), if his four IBA Pro matches are included. He’s won four in a row since being outpointed by Khariton Agrba in March 2024. Borrego’s most recent victories involved decisions over Etoundi Michel William in November and Ryan Martin in December, and then a ninth-round knockout of the 37-26-2 Jhony Navarrete in April.
Also scheduled on that promotion is a heavyweight fight between Artem Suslenkov, 12-0 (7 KOs), and Agron Smakici, 21-2 (19 KOs).
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
