Beterbiev blasts Benavidez for backing out of agreed fight

Artur Beterbiev says David Benavidez backed out of a planned heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight bout after initially agreeing to meet, opting instead to face Gilberto Ramirez at cruiserweight last month.

The former undisputed champion told Match TV that he accepted terms to fight Benavidez after the WBC titleholder squared off with Anthony Yarde in November, only to have the agreement fall apart. "His team apparently didn't expect me to agree so quickly, so they immediately changed their mind and chose Ramirez," Beterbiev said, per The Ring's Manouk Akopyan.

Beterbiev criticizes opponent selection in modern boxing

Beterbiev added that the last-minute switch reflected a broader trend in the sport. "That was a year ago. Generally, this has become the norm in boxing — sometimes I'll box, sometimes I won't, choosing opponents, I like this one, I don't like that one. I have a different mentality. That's foreign to me," he told the Russian outlet.

The 41-year-old Russian has not fought since dropping a majority decision to Dmitry Bivol in their February rematch. Beterbiev won the first meeting by unanimous decision in October 2024, briefly holding all four major belts at 175 pounds. He carries a 21-1 record with 20 knockouts.

Benavidez stopped Ramirez in six rounds to claim WBA and WBO cruiserweight straps, becoming a two-division champion. He now holds the WBC heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight title as well, with a 32-0 slate and 26 stoppages. Beterbiev dismissed the unbeaten Phoenician's résumé. "Benavidez is the kind of guy who talks a lot more than he does," he said, adding that the American's boxing is "dirty" and some wins are "questionable."

Beterbiev was scheduled to face Deon Nicholson on the Benavidez-Yarde undercard in Riyadh last November, but that bout never materialized. No timeline has been set for his return to the ring.

Source: ringmagazine.com