Canelo Alvarez dismisses Benavidez fight: 'He's a Heavyweight'

Canelo Alvarez has shut the door on a David Benavidez superfight, claiming the undefeated contender is now too big after moving to heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight.

Alvarez, who faces Christian Mbilli for the WBC middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight title on October 31 in Riyadh, told Ariel Helwani that Benavidez currently competes as a heavyweight cutting down to 175 pounds. "He's a Heavyweight fighting at 175, or, I don't know, Cruiserweight," Alvarez said, per MMA Mania. "But he's a Heavyweight. It's not fair."

Benavidez chase began in 2021

Benavidez has pursued the Alvarez matchup since November 2021, immediately following his seventh-round stoppage of Kyrone Davis. Both men fought at middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight then, but Alvarez brushed off the challenge. Benavidez kept winning and defending his WBC interim strap before eventually moving up in weight when the money fight never materialized.

Alvarez also claimed the window has closed. He said the correct moment would have been when he held undisputed super middleweight gold and Benavidez held a full title at 168 pounds, not an interim belt. "I think that was the perfect moment to do it," he said. Alvarez confirmed no serious talks ever took place.

When asked if Benavidez could replace him as Mexico's next boxing star, Alvarez dismissed the idea outright. "He's not Mexican," Alvarez said. "It's different. Mexican American, yeah." He added that Ryan Garcia carries more star power among Mexican-American fighters. Alvarez returns to action for the first time since losing his titles to Terence Crawford.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Canelo Alvarez continues to duck ‘not-Mexican’ David Benavidez – ‘He’s a Heavyweight’