Anthony Yarde says he needs to have the “dog” mentality for him to defeat WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez in their clash in 25 days on November 22, 2025, in Riyadh.
Benavidez’s Relentless Firestorm Ahead
#3 WBA contender Yarde has no option but to fight like a “dog”, as he’s going to have Benavidez burying him with nonstop combinations right out of the gate. This isn’t going to be the type of fight in which Yarde can fight at a slow pace, giving his bodybuilder’s physique enough rest for him to generate maximum power on his shots. Benavidez will make this a marathon-type fight.
A Muscle-Bound Problem for Yarde
For a fighter who carries around too much muscle, like Yarde, he’s going to tire quickly on November 22nd. So, his best chance of winning is to try to score a knockout before he gasses. Yarde is what is referred to as a ‘weight baby,’ a guy who spends too much time pumping iron.
“I’m a realist. On paper, I should be a heavy underdog. He’s been a world champion, and these are the things that keep me thriving,” said Anthony Yarde to Ring Magazine about his fight against WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez.
Of course, Yarde is the underdog. He’s repeatedly failed when stepping up against A-level fighters. He talks about “thriving” as the underdog, but the reality is that it hasn’t helped him in his losses to Artur Beterbiev, Sergey Kovalev, and Lyndon Arthur. He was the underdog, and he failed to thrive. You can’t call that thriving.
Turki’s Handpicked Underdog
Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) has already been dismissed by fans as yet another one of the plastic, second-rate fighters that Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) will make easy work of. In this case, he didn’t choose the 34-year-old Yarde. Turki Alalshikh selected him. Yarde has done zero to earn a title shot after being knocked out in the eighth round by Beterbiev on January 28, 2023. To redeem himself after that loss, Yarde beat these four:
- Jorge Silva: 23-17 record.
- Marko Nikolic
- Ralfs Vilcans
- Lyndon Arthur
Fans Wanted Bivol or Beterbiev
U.S boxing fans would have preferred Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev for ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez, rather than using Beterbiev’s leftovers as an opponent. There are no words to describe how disappointing this pick is. There are far more deserving contenders at 175 that could have been selected for Benavidez’s opponent for the November 22nd event.
“I want to be in a situation where it’s like a dog. I need to come out of this. I feel like that’s where you get the best performances out of me,” said Yarde. “People who have watched my career know I can hit. Benavidez has been almost perfect so far, and these are the things that make me thrive.”
No Buzz, No Belief
In this fight, Yarde is more like the lamb that is about to be slaughtered than a “dog.’ That’s the major reason why there’s almost no buzz from fans about this fight. They see Yarde as another victim for Benavidez to pad his record with. It would have been better for Turki to bury the fight on the card below these fights:
- Devin Haney vs. Brian Norman Jr.
- Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez vs. Fernando Martinez
- Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes