David Benavidez Vs. Zurdo Ramirez – How Does It Play Out?
Negotiations are reportedly underway for a 2026 fight between David Benavidez and unified cruiserweight champion Zurdo Ramirez, which could come about if they win their next fights.
Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions confirmed the news, putting the pressure on both men to win their next fights. Benavidez defends his WBC Light Heavyweight Title against Anthony Yarde on November 22. It is the first defense of his belt after he was elevated from his interim status once Dmitry Bivol vacated.
Ramirez is the current WBO and WBA Cruiserweight Champion. He unified the division in November 2024 by beating Chris Billam-Smith to add his WBO belt. That was followed by a defense of those belts against Yuniel Dorticos in June. However, he is currently out injured with a shoulder injury after having surgery to repair it. He is expected to face the IBF Champion Jai Opetaia in a unification. A win could then set up the Benavidez fight.
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“Yeah, look, we’re working on it. Right now, the negotiations are underway for a big fight in 2026 between Zurdo and Benavidez. “Of course, it all depends on them winning their next fights. Zurdo has his [unification] against [IBF champion Jai] Opetaia in cruiserweight, and Benavidez has to get past [Anthony] Yarde at light heavyweight. But if they both come through, this is happening.
“There’s a ton of interest on both sides. David [Benavidez] is super excited—he’s been telling me, ‘Man, I want to fight Zurdo; that would be a monster Mexican showdown.’ We’ve had really good conversations with Sampson Lewkowicz, Zurdo’s promoter. Everything’s lining up. This isn’t about a Canelo rematch or anything like that—it’s about unifying these divisions, putting on a high-stakes clash between two beasts. It could be huge for boxing,” Gomez said
The Approach
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Benavidez’s plan to win at cruiserweight will be his “Mexican Monster” approach: relentless, high-volume pressure. His primary objective will be to prevent Ramirez from utilizing his height and southpaw reach effectively. Benavidez must ignore the fact that Ramirez is naturally bigger and instead rely on his superior hand speed and combination punching to overwhelm the WBO/WBA champion. He will consistently cut off the ring, walking Ramirez down and forcing him to fight from the ropes, where Benavidez can employ his body attack.
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Ramirez’s strategy will focus on neutralizing Benavidez’s pressure through size, southpaw angles, and movement. His tactical objective will be to use his natural cruiserweight strength and southpaw stance to disrupt Benavidez’s relentless forward pressure. Ramirez must maintain distance, utilizing a consistent right jab to the chest and face to halt Benavidez’s momentum and prevent him from setting his feet for power. When Benavidez gets close, Ramirez must pivot out quickly, creating the space to land his heavy straight left hand or a short counter-right hook.
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