Third world championship opportunity for Anthony Yarde: In November he will face KO artist David Benavidez in Riyadh – his team is talking about a “fight of destiny”.
The next boxing clash in Saudi Arabia is official: Anthony Yarde will fight the unbeaten Mexican David Benavidez for the WBC light heavyweight world title in Riyadh in November. This was confirmed by Yarde’s trainer Babatunde Ajayi.
This is the 33-year-old Brit’s third major attempt at the World Championships. After courageous but unsuccessful attempts against Sergey Kovalev (2019) and Artur Beterbiev (2023), Yarde now wants to finally celebrate his big triumph. And the hurdle is huge: David Benavidez is considered one of the most explosive punchers in world boxing – and will be defending his WBC title for the first time since he moved up to light heavyweight. However, Yarde’s trainer Ajayi does not see this as a burden, but as a stage: “Nobody wanted to fight Benavidez – but Anthony accepts the challenge. That’s what sets him apart. I believe this will be the fight of the century.”
The duel will also be emotional due to the recent death of Yarde’s long-time assistant coach James Cook MBE, who died of cancer in June. “This match is also for him. He left his mark on us. Now it’s about more than just a belt.” Yarde is once again traveling overseas as the underdog – but anyone who knows the Londoner knows that a lion’s heart beats being the favorite.
Text by Robin Josten