Benavidez says Diego Pacheco would have been a better opponent choice for Canelo Alvarez than Christian Mbilli
David Benavidez openly criticized Canelo Alvarez’s September 12 fight against Christian Mbilli and questioned the public demand for the matchup. Benavidez instead suggested Diego Pacheco would have been the better opponent for Canelo despite never fully explaining why.
“Nobody wants to see that s***. I’m not trying to be a d***, but no one wants to see that,” said David Benavidez on Instagram when asked about Canelo facing Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on September 12.
“I think he would have been better if he fought Diego Pacheco.”
Benavidez did not expand on why he viewed Pacheco as the better option. The 6-foot-3 contender is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision win over Kevin Lele Sadjo in December in a fight that drew criticism from some fans, who felt Pacheco looked too cautious and failed to separate himself against a smaller opponent.
Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) is younger than Canelo at 31 and is known for fighting at a high pace while throwing heavy combinations without slowing late in fights. He is also viewed as the naturally stronger fighter physically at super middleweight.
Benavidez has pursued a fight with Canelo for years without landing the matchup. The former WBC interim and regular champion eventually moved to 175 and later cruiserweight after repeatedly missing out on the opportunity. Earlier this month, Benavidez stopped Gilberto Ramirez to capture the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles.
Canelo returns in Riyadh after losing his undisputed super middleweight championship to Terence Crawford last September. Crawford later retired and vacated the belts, leaving Canelo positioned for another title fight against Mbilli.