{"id":236984,"date":"2025-11-01T01:57:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T01:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/236984\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T01:57:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T01:57:15","slug":"david-benavidez-dismisses-trainers-claim-hes-overlooking-anthony-yarde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/236984\/","title":{"rendered":"David Benavidez Dismisses Trainer\u2019s Claim He’s \u2018Overlooking\u2019 Anthony Yarde"},"content":{"rendered":"

David Benavidez<\/a> realizes just how dangerous Anthony Yarde<\/a> will be when they square off November 22.
The unbeaten WBC light heavyweight champion has paid close attention to the dangerous English contender for several years. Benavidez is well aware therefore that he can\u2019t afford to underestimate an opponent that could sabotage the legacy-strengthening fights he wants after defeating Yarde in the 12-round main event of \u201cThe Ring IV: Night of the Champions\u201d card<\/a> at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

If Yarde and his trainer, Tunde Ajayi, truly believe Benavidez is \u201coverlooking\u201d him, the heavily favored Benavidez assured them that Yarde will encounter a harsh reality come fight night. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey can say whatever they want, but they\u2019re not seeing how I\u2019m training,\u201d Benavidez told The Ring. \u201cIf anything, this has been the hardest I\u2019ve trained. They\u2019re probably saying that because I\u2019m mentioning Dmitry Bivol<\/a>, I\u2019m mentioning \u2018Zurdo\u2019 Ramirez. But at the end of the day, I know what\u2019s at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n

A costly loss to Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs), The Ring\u2019s fourth-ranked contender for Bivol\u2019s belt, would knock the second-rated Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) off his path toward becoming boxing\u2019s undisputed light heavyweight champion.<\/p>\n

If Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs), the fully unified 175-pound champion, won\u2019t provide Benavidez with that opportunity in his first fight of 2026, the Phoenix native will seriously consider moving up to challenge WBA\/WBO cruiserweight champ Gilberto Ramirez<\/a>. Benavidez could become a champion in a third weight class if he defeated Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs).
While Benavidez is 28, in the heart of his physical prime and perfectly positioned to make his championship dreams come true, the 34-year-old Yarde understands that his third chance to win a light heavyweight title would likely be his last if he doesn\u2019t beat Benavidez. Such desperation might make Yarde even more dangerous than he was when Sergey Kovalev<\/a> beat him by 11th-round technical knockout in August 2019 and Artur Beterbiev<\/a> stopped him in the eighth round in January 2023.<\/p>\n

Yarde hurt Kovalev and buzzed Beterbiev in those bouts before they came back to take him out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know he\u2019s a great fighter,\u201d Benavidez said. \u201cI\u2019ve been watching him for a long time. I knew a fight with Anthony Yarde was gonna manifest itself a long time ago. So, they can think whatever they want. You know what I mean? They can say [I\u2019m overlooking him], but at the end of the day, the type of working I\u2019m putting in says something way different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ajayi informed The Ring this month<\/a> that he sensed Benavidez is underestimating what Ajayi promised will be \u201cthe fight of his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think whenever somebody is already talking about another fight in the future, then they are overlooking the one in front of them,\u201d Ajayi said. \u201cSo, yeah, keep overlooking us. He\u2019s talking about [Dmitry] Bivol and [Artur] Beterbiev and I\u2019m like, \u2018Are you having a laugh mate?\u2019 Do you think we are coming here to mess about? We are coming here to fight, and David Benavidez is going to be in the fight of his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benavidez is a 10-1 favorite over Yarde according to DraftKings in the headliner of DAZN Pay-Per-View\u2019s four-fight show<\/a> ($59.99 in the United States; \u00a324.99 in the UK).<\/p>\n

Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.<\/p>\n

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