Two big guys unleashing ferocious strikes in the ring, there isn’t a better sight for a boxing fan. Perhaps that is exactly what His Excellency Turki Alalshikh had in mind when he booked David Benavidez against Anthony Yarde for his ‘Ring IV’ headliner on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After a long hunt for an opponent after David Morrell, it is yet another exciting matchup for the Mexican Monster. And the WBC light heavyweight champion intends to dive into another challenge head-on without caring about anything else. At the core, both Yarde and Benavidez are ferocious strikers, dependent on their aggressive game. And when the fight night comes, that is exactly how they will deal with each other.

Recently, in an interview with Boxing News, David Benavidez shared his frustration over not getting his desired fights against the likes of Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol. However, despite the disappointment, he acknowledged the Hackney native as a formidable challenge, or rather “the next best thing,” as the interviewer described him.

David Benavidez is looking forward to slugging it out

The 28-year-old clarified that he won’t make the mistake of taking Yarde lightly and is ready for a slobber knocker. “I know a lot about him. I like his fighting style, and I like how he boxes, and I like how he comes forward. So, at the end of the day, people know me, and how I like to fight,” he said.

The Phoenix native vowed that if a melee breaks out, he won’t back down, making an entertaining night for the fans. “If he’s going to bring the fight like that to me, great. It’s great for the fans. I guarantee you I’m not going to back down. I’m not going to run away from nobody,” he stated boldly.

And as far as his strategy for the fight goes, like always, he will look for an early stoppage. “I’m going to look for the knockout. I’m not saying I am going to knock somebody out. I’m going to look for the knockout every round. If it happens, great. If it doesn’t happen, great too. But I’m definitely going to punish Anthony Yarde,” he declared, making his intentions clear.

While David Benavidez is known for his devastating power, he has recently struggled to end the fight early, with his last two fights against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell going full distance. And despite Yarde’s history of being knocked out twice, he plans to give his opponent a tough fight and aims for a similar outcome.

A violent treat for the fans

Undoubtedly, a match against Benavidez is Anthony Yarde’s biggest opportunity since his loss to the then-unified champion Artur Beterbiev, and he intends to make it count. In a recent interview with The Ring, the Briton confessed that he won’t try to outpoint or survive the WBC champion like everyone else. Rather, just like his opponents, he wants to give the fans a treat.

“Let’s have a shootout, give me a shootout,” he said, fully embracing the heat that will come his way in November. He declared, “I will stand in the middle, he will stand in the middle, and we’ll have a shootout.”

The confession by both these fighters must be music to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s ears, who is tired of watching passive, defensive first fights. After a disappointing month for Riyadh Season in May, he even forbade the fighters on his cards from being overtly cautious. This even forced Shakur Stevenson, a defensive master, to get out of his shell against William Zepeda at ‘The Ring III’ event last night.

So, if both Anthony Yarde and David Benavidez are ready to slug it out, the Saudi Royal won’t hesitate to pat his back this time. What do you think about the approach of both fighters?