The simmering tension between former undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and three-division world champion David Benavidez has finally boiled over, with both camps engaged in a blistering war of accusations over who is avoiding whom.
In an explosive interview with Russian outlet Match TV, the hard-hitting Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) launched a scathing attack on Benavidez’s fighting style and character, accusing the unbeaten star of being all mouth and no action.
“Benavidez is the kind of guy who talks a lot more than he does,” Beterbiev said. “But it must be said that he’s being handled very skillfully. He’s already a world champion in two weight classes. But his boxing is dirty, and some of his victories are certainly questionable.”
The 41-year-old Russian, known for his terrifying knockout power, claims the seeds of this dispute were planted over a year ago when Benavidez first called him out. According to Beterbiev, he immediately agreed to face “The Mexican Monster” following Benavidez’s November victory over Anthony Yarde.
“His team apparently didn’t expect me to agree so quickly, so they immediately changed their mind and chose [Gilberto] Ramirez. That was a year ago,” Beterbiev stated, expressing frustration with what he sees as a growing trend of fighters picking and choosing opponents. “Generally, this has become the norm in boxing. I have a different mentality. That’s foreign to me.”
However, Jose Benavidez Sr., David’s father, trainer, and manager, has vehemently denied that version of events. In a fiery response to BoxingScene, he dismissed Beterbiev’s claims as outright lies and threw down the gauntlet for an immediate showdown.
“They’re lying,” Benavidez Sr. said bluntly. “We want to fight him. Let’s make that fight happen. Tell the [Beterbiev] manager to contact me, and we will make that fight happen in five minutes. Do you have his manager’s number? Let’s go.”
The Benavidez camp insists there have been no serious negotiations regarding a fight with Beterbiev. Instead, they point to the Russian’s potential trilogy with current unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol as the real reason talks have stalled.
“Nothing happened, but we still want to fight him,” Benavidez Sr. added. “We’re here to fight anybody. If Beterbiev’s ready, let’s make it happen. Who wants to fight? Let’s see. I think they’re all talk.”
The backdrop to this war of words is a complicated landscape in the light heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions. Bivol (25-1, 12 KOs), who avenged his loss to Beterbiev in February 2025 to become undisputed champion, recently returned from a 15-month layoff to defeat Michael Eifert. He is widely expected to face Beterbiev in a rubber match later this year.
Meanwhile, Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) has moved up to cruiserweight, where he secured a dominant sixth-round stoppage over Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on May 2 to claim unified titles. He has since been named the WBC mandatory challenger for champion Noel Mikaelian, though that title may become vacant if Mikaelian finalizes a deal with Jai Opetaia.
Despite his success at 200 pounds, the specter of the Beterbiev fight lingers. With Beterbiev questioning the legitimacy of some of Benavidez’s wins and the Benavidez camp claiming they can sign the contract in “five minutes,” the ball appears to be in the court of the promoters and managers to turn this heated rivalry into a reality.
Given Beterbiev’s disdain for Benavidez’s “dirty” inside-fighting and Benavidez’s relentless pressure, a clash between the two remains one of the most intriguing fights that can be made in boxing today—if either side can stop talking long enough to agree to it.
