Artur Beterbiev was dismissive when asked about his thoughts on WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez’s seventh-round knockout win over Anthony Yarde last Saturday night at the Ring IV event in Riyadh.
Beterbiev’s Cold Reaction
The former undisputed 175-lb champion Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) let his followers on X know that he felt the Benavidez-Yarde fight was “nothing new” to him. He added that a battle between him and ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) would be “better.”
A clash between the 40-year-old Beterbiev and Benavidez would be an exciting one for the fans. It would be a different type of contest than what Artur has dealt with in his last two bouts against the speedy boxer Dmitry Bivol, which were more of a cat-and-mouse kind of affairs. Beterbiev was forced to chase Bivol around the ring in both fights.
All you ask me about Benavidez-Yarde. I saw it. Nothing new for me. We two could have something better, isn’t it?
— Artur Beterbiev (@ABeterbiev) November 24, 2025
“Nothing New” Explained
Last Saturday night’s fight between ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez and Yarde (27-4, 24 KOs) was a disappointment for fans, as it was too one-sided from the get-go.
Unlike Benavidez’s last fight against David Morrell, there was no drama involved because Yarde was getting bludgeoned the entire seven-round contest. It was viewed as a poor fight from the moment it was signed, as Yarde has failed every time he’s fought for world titles.
Benavidez’s Post-Fight Complaints
After the contest, Benavidez griped at the press conference about how difficult it is for him to get the top fighters to face him. He sounded like he was feeling sorry for himself. Interestingly, he didn’t mention Artur Beterbiev or Jai Opetaia.
If he had been assertive by calling out these two dangerous punchers instead of complaining, he’d have had a more positive message to the fans. The two main fighters Benavidez has been calling out nonstop are Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol.
Beterbiev has been waiting to get his trilogy match against Dmitry Bivol over with. They would have fought in November 2025, but Bivol had back surgery last August and is still recovering. They’re expected to meet in the first quarter of 2026.
Artur had been scheduled to fight Deon Nicholson on the Ring IV card last Saturday night in Riyadh, but he suffered an injury and had to pull out.
Why Zurdo Isn’t Moving the Needle
Benavidez, 28, has already announced his next fight against WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez on May 2, 2026, in Las Vegas. His announcement failed to generate the kind of excitement he may have expected from fans.
Fans question why Benavidez chose to fight Zurdo, who has looked unexceptional in his last two fights against Yuniel Dorticos, 39, and Chris Billiam-Smith, rather than IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) has been carefully matched throughout his 16-year professional career and has failed to become a star despite his gaudy record.