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.
ProboxTV’s championship series is now on the ProBoxTV YouTube channel for $5/month.
Learn More
Francis Ngannou has received heavy praise from another former UFC heavyweight champion, Randy Couture.
Couture is no stranger to having heat with the UFC and company president Dana White.
Last year, Ngannou - who at the time was the reigning UFC heavyweight champion - rejected a multi-fight agreement to remain with the company.
He felt the UFC's contract was too restrictive and prevented him from pursuing several of his goals.
Instead, Ngannou became a free agent and signed on with a rival MMA organization, PFL.
Additionally, Ngannou will pursue his dream of making a pro boxing debut - when he faces former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on October 28 in Saudi Arabia.
Couture explains that Ngannou made a decision that other top MMA fighters were afraid to make - he left the UFC to explore his options.
“He’s done the right thing, he stood up for himself. He stood up for the sport. There were other athletes in the position to do that and passed and didn’t do it. I’m proud of him for doing that, sticking to his guns. It wasn’t about the money, it was about all the other stuff that he’s mentioned and I’ve certainly mentioned and stood up for himself," Couture told Middleasy.com.
“A whole new level of respect for him. I think [facing Fury is] a big step up for him honestly, this guy’s been boxing at that level. He’s arguably the best boxer in the world right now, and has been at the top of that game for quite a while. What he did with [Deontay] Wilder in all those matches, his technique. He’s long, he’s rangy, he moves his head and his feet well, he’s going to be hard to hit. Francis has got a lot of work to do to get ready and get sharp for that. But, you can never count Francis out.”
