While Canelo Alvarez struggles to return to championship status, David Benavidez has set his sights beyond belts, pursuing legacy-defining fights even if that means moving to an entirely new weight class. With his next fight still the subject of rumors, Benavidez has turned toward a new plan involving potential matchups with Jai Opetaia, Artur Beterbiev, and Oleksandr Usyk, seemingly leaving the Canelo fight out of the picture.

“This next contract I got…I signed a three-deal contract,” Benavidez told Brian Custer in a recent interview. “Where I’m going to sign a three-deal contract with… after this fight and in those it’s Beterbiev, what’s his name? The guy everybody wants to see me fight. What’s his name? Opetaia. You’re talking about Beterbiev. And then we’re maybe talking about Usyk.

“So, but those fights are at cruiserweight. And the one in—I’m—I’m a little bit confused for the one in Usyk because that might either be at cruiserweight or heavyweight. Now, I’ll explain to you why right now, but those are, you know, three great fights that need to happen and that they’re going to happen.

“You know, I’m not just here saying I’m going to fight these guys and I’m never going to fight them. I’m going to fight these guys because this is who I want to fight. You know, I want Opetaia. I want Beterbiev and I want Usyk.”

Benavidez’s comments reflect his current contractual position and the direction his career has taken since he stopped Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in the sixth round on May 2, 2026, to win the unified cruiserweight titles. The victory left him holding titles in two weight classes – the WBA and WBO titles at cruiserweight and the WBC and WBA (regular) titles at light heavyweight.

The situation ran counter to the stance taken by sanctioning bodies, which discourage fighters from holding active titles in two different weight classes simultaneously. Later in September, reports confirmed that the WBA had asked Benavidez to clarify which title he wanted to retain – at 200 pounds or 175 pounds.

A few weeks later, another update revealed that Benavidez had vacated his WBC light heavyweight title.

As a result, Benavidez was left holding the unified titles at 200 pounds, putting potential matchups with champions and top-ranked contenders firmly in focus.

Among those options, a fight with Opetaia appears to be gaining momentum. After the IBF stripped him of its 200-pound title, Opetaia moved closer to another title opportunity by stopping Noel Mikaelian for the vacant WBA (regular) title on September 12, 2026.

Following the fight, Opetaia shared a friendly face-off with Benavidez, fueling speculation about a potential matchup.

David Benavidez has bigger fish to fry – and they’re heavyweights

Oleksandr Usyk presents a different possibility, with talks of a fight emerging amid uncertainty surrounding negotiations for other heavyweight matchups, including those involving Usyk and Tyson Fury.

After defending his championship against Rico Verhoeven in May, Usyk vacated his unified heavyweight title. Talks of a matchup with former champion Deontay Wilder subsequently followed. However, recent developments suggest negotiations for their proposed 2027 meeting have stalled.

With Usyk approaching his target retirement age of 41, The Ring‘s Mike Coppinger reported last week, “There’s a good reason Oleksandr Usyk vacated his four heavyweight titles, and that’s because he is big-game hunting as he enters his age-41 campaign. A trilogy with Tyson Fury (if he beats AJ) and David Benavidez are seen as viable options for the @ringmagazine heavyweight champ.”

Coppinger had previously reported that Benavidez was being considered for a matchup with Fury after plans involving Anthony Joshua encountered uncertainty.

Several prominent figures, including Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., and Turki Alalshikh, also seem to have supported a matchup with Usyk.

A potential matchup between Benavidez and Artur Beterbiev presents a different set of questions. Beterbiev remains active at 175 pounds and has shown little indication that he intends to move up to 200 pounds. However, his free agent status could reduce the contractual complications typically associated with arranging such a fight.

Whether Beterbiev will move up to cruiserweight to face Benavidez or instead wait for a trilogy opportunity with Dmitry Bivol, who has a title defense against Callum Smith, remains unclear. In a recent interview, Benavidez revealed that Beterbiev’s representatives contacted his team, suggesting there may be interest in exploring the matchup.

Benavidez’s current contractual situation has also put him in a position to pursue bigger fights.

Reportedly, the rumored clash with WBC cruiserweight champion Michal Cieslak will mark the end of his current promotional arrangement with Sampson Lewkowicz. The December 5 contest, expected to take place in Phoenix, could feature all three cruiserweight belts.

During the interview with Custer, Benavidez did not name any specific promoter while discussing the three-fight deal. However, given his participation in major Saudi boxing events, questions remain about whether Benavidez has signed an agreement with Riyadh Season.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding his future plans, a showdown between Benavidez and Canelo appears increasingly unlikely, as both pursue different career paths.

After spending time pursuing a fight with Canelo at 168 pounds, Benavidez has progressed to light heavyweight and then cruiserweight. Meanwhile, Canelo remains focused on reclaiming championship status in the super middleweight division.

Canelo’s trainer, Eddy Reynoso, reportedly indicated that the opportunity for a matchup has passed, while both the fighters have also expressed doubts about whether they will ever face each other.