Ramirez vs Benavidez: Why the Cruiserweight Champ Struggles to Make His Case

Gilberto Ramirez's trainer struggled to explain how his fighter beats David Benavidez.

When Julian Chua was asked at Thursday's MGM Grand press conference why his unified cruiserweight champion would defeat the unbeaten Benavidez, his answer was three words: "He's Zurdo Ramirez." Ring Magazine's Keith Idec described the response as "perplexing, perhaps telling" for a matchup where the path to victory isn't obvious.

Why Benavidez Opens as Heavy Favorite Despite Weight Jump

Benavidez moved up 25 pounds from heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight to chase this fight, yet bookmakers installed him as at least a 4-1 favorite over Ramirez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles. The Mexican southpaw won both straps in 2024, outpointing Arsen Goulamirian and Chris Billam-Smith in successive distance fights. He dominated Joe Smith Jr. in his 200-pound debut and stopped hard-hitting former champ Yuniel Dorticos ten months back.

But Ramirez has never beaten an elite opponent. His lone defeat came against Dmitry Bivol in November 2022, a bout he reportedly lost handily. Benavidez requested this fight from Oscar De La Hoya specifically because hundreds of sparring rounds convinced him the cruiserweight jump posed less risk than staying at light heavyweight. The 29-year-old ranks No. 7 on Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound list and brings a 31-0 record with 25 knockouts.

Ramirez gives away speed and hasn't scored a knockdown in four cruiserweight outings. De La Hoya suggested this week that Ramirez could land "a haymaker" on Benavidez, who was knocked down — though the fighters' legs appeared tangled — in the 11th round of his win over David Morrell 15 months ago. Ramirez will hold a size advantage for the first time in Benavidez's career, but the Phoenix native's chin remains one of his best assets.

The pay-per-view main event at T-Mobile Arena airs Saturday, with Benavidez eyeing a Bivol fight at light heavyweight if he wins.

Source: ringmagazine.com