Benavidez Drained As Yarde Stands Ready To Punish In Riyadh

WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez says he’ll be ready for “war” if that’s what Anthony Yarde chooses to make it on Saturday night of their headliner on the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Benavidez Looks Drained

Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) doesn’t should worry about “if” Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) will make it a war, because that’s the one way he fights. He knows no other way. With Benavidez’s thin, frail, starved appearance today, it wouldn’t be a great idea for him to face and trade on Saturday night.

Morrell War Still in His Eyes

Benavidez has never looked this bad in making weight before. It suggests that he placed on weight with a victory lap after his win over David Morrell on February 1, 2025. If he’d kept his weight down and stayed within the gym, he wouldn’t be struggling this week, cutting all the way down to 175.

We don’t know the way Benavidez’s chin will handle the massive shots from Yarde. He was down against Morrell and hurt twice with headshots from the powerful Cuban. Yarde hits no less than as hard as Morrell. If he’s got a drained skeleton in front of him, still feeling the aftereffects of 12 hard rounds against the Cuban powerhouse, we could see an upset on Saturday night.

Yarde Smells Opportunity

Are you able to call that an upset? It’s more about nature’s survival of the fittest. While you get a lion that has had recent wars, they’re vulnerable to having their pride taken from them by a more energizing one.

“I prefer to make my fights a war. I like to present the people fights they need to see. This fight goes to live up to date,” said a drained-looking WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez at Thursday’s final press conference for his fight against Anthony Yarde this Saturday night.

Benavidez boasted this week that he’ll box this Saturday and fight smarter. Now, he’s talking about going to war. Will he ever learn?

“That is the toughest I’ve trained for any of my fights. I’m going to go in there and offer you guys a war. I’m able to dominate. Whatever happens, I’m ready for whatever. If it’s going to show right into a war, then I’m going to show it right into a war,” said Benavidez.

“I get Benavidez. Everyone seems to be saying, ‘He’s a monster. Don’t fight this guy.’ I said, ‘Give me this guy, I’ll fight him,’” said Anthony Yarde. “The higher the fighter, the higher the reward.”