Tyson Urges Benavidez To Take Usyk Fight Over Bivol

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. want David Benavidez to skip a cruiserweight unification and go straight after Oleksandr Usyk instead.

The two Hall of Famers told The Ring that Benavidez should challenge the heavyweight champion rather than face Dmitry Bivol or pursue a cruiserweight title unification with Noel Mikaelian. Jones, who originally floated the idea after Benavidez beat Gilberto Ramirez for the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles in May, doubled down after watching Usyk struggle against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven three weeks later.

Why Tyson and Jones See an Opening

Tyson, who gave Benavidez his "Mexican Monster" nickname and walked him to the ring against Ramirez, believes the size difference is manageable. "Benavidez should move to heavyweight. Usyk is not a big heavyweight. He's a cruiserweight who's fast and smooth," Tyson told The Ring. "I think Benavidez throws more punches and combinations than Usyk."

Jones pointed to Usyk's recent performance as evidence the Ukrainian may be vulnerable. "Usyk does not appear as hungry as he once was, and as focused as he once was, as we saw in his last fight," Jones said. He added that Benavidez could return to cruiserweight afterward without the weight-management issues Jones himself faced when he jumped from light heavyweight to beat John Ruiz in 2003.

Benavidez remains unbeaten at 32-0 with the cruiserweight straps, while Usyk holds the heavyweight titles at 25-0 and is targeting Deontay Wilder for his farewell fight. Jones believes the matchup would be more compelling than either fighter's current options. "I really think Benavidez gives Usyk an even harder fight than Agit Kabayel," he said.

Source: ringmagazine.com