Gilberto Ramirez vs. David Benavidez | PBC PPV - May 2, 2026

[Taansend]

I had a look at the Ring Super Middle rating from 2018.

These two were 2nd & 3rd after Callum Smith.

It's about time they got it on.

[Evander]

Vibe I'm getting off David Benavidez
Wants to fight twice a year against anyone, he's gonna make big coin and be involved in exciting fights, he's coming to fight every time.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
As Bam said, he's here for a good time not a long time.

[Ruthless-RKO]

David Benavidez locks in on Zurdo - can't land fights with Bivol, Beterbiev, Canelo

David Benavidez talks a big game, and he sure backs it up by blasting everyone who stands in front of him.

The WBC light heavyweight champion successfully defended his title Saturday by stopping Anthony Yarde in seven rounds while headlining “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” card in Saudi Arabia.

Immediately afterward, Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) announced that he’s moving up to cruiserweight to challenge WBA and WBO champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.

Benavidez, The Ring’s No. 9-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, plans to march to the beat of his own drum moving forward while carving a long-lasting legacy.

“I told everybody that I was going to make a statement, and I think I did that. Yarde came for war, but this is my world and nobody can mess with me,” Benavidez said during his post fight press conference.

“I wanted to fight Dmitry Bivol for this fight. That's the fight that I have been wanting to get, to become a unified world champion. I don't know what's going on over there. I don't want to wait for anyone anymore. I don't want to waste any more time.”

Benavidez, 28, has youth, time, and the prime of his career on his side. The guys he’s chasing – Artur Beterbiev, soon to be 41, Bivol, soon to be 35, Canelo Alvarez, 35, and Ramirez, 34, don't.

The only reason Benavidez has the 175-pound WBC belt is because Bivol, The Ring and unified champion, chose not to fight him after earning undisputed honors in pursuit of a trilogy bout with Beterbiev that never came to be. As a result, Benavidez was elevated from interim to full champion status by the sanctioning body. Bivol, meanwhile, has since been sidelined with back surgery and fighting against Beterbiev seems nowhere in sight.

“They know that I am the hardest fighter on the table,” said Benavidez. “It's apparent that every good fighter that I do go up against, I outclass them. Canelo, Bivol, Beterbiev – they all know that an extremely hard fight. They would have shut me up by now if they knew I was an easy fight. I'm 100 percent confident in myself, in my skills, and my chin.

“I want to achieve greatness, and I had an opportunity to go up to challenge Ramirez for two titles at cruiserweight, so let's get it. If I am getting the opportunity, why not take it? I didn't get the opportunity at 168, and now I am not getting it at 175. So I am going to make my own lane and achieve greatness, one way or the other.

Benavidez said that if he gets past Ramirez, he’ll campaign again as a light heavyweight if the bouts against Alvarez, Bivol, and Beterbiev become available. If not, he’ll likely look to face The Ring and IBF cruiserweight champion, Jai Opetaia.

“I want to be a double champ at both weight classes,” said Benavidez. “I will take a fight at 175 with those guys if it's available. I'm here to prove myself as a fighter. This is what I am here for, to be one of the greats.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sources: David Benavidez to fight Gilberto Ramirez on May 2

David Benavidez will attempt to become a three-division world champion when he moves up to challenge WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez on May 2 in Las Vegas, sources told ESPN on Monday.

The fight will likely take place at T-Mobile Arena, sources said.

Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs), who is No. 7 in ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings, retained his WBC light heavyweight title in November with a seventh-round stoppage of Anthony Yarde. Shortly after the win, Benavidez, who has won world titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight, announced his desire to challenge Ramirez.

Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) successfully defended his titles in June with a unanimous decision over former world champion Yuniel Dorticos. The only loss on the professional record of "Zurdo" came via unanimous decision to Dmitry Bivol when he challenged for the WBA light heavyweight title in 2022, and he has won four straight fights since.

Benavidez, 29, has openly stated he wanted to take over fighting on both Cinco De Mayo weekend and Mexican Independence Day, two major fight weekend dates that were often held by Canelo Alvarez. With Canelo out of action due to surgery following his loss to Terence Crawford, Cinco De Mayo weekend was open for Benavidez to compete against Ramirez, a fellow Mexican.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Benavidez Plans Return To 175 To Pursue Bivol, Beterbiev

After stopping Anthony Yarde in defense of his WBC 175-pound title in November, Benavidez revealed that he would be moving up in weight for his next fight. The 29-year-old declared that he will challenge WBO and WBA cruiserweight titleholder Gilberto Ramirez, although it hasn’t been officially announced.

However, according to Benavidez, his cruiserweight trip will be a short one.

“I’m a fight Zurdo Ramirez,” Benavidez said on the Danza Project. “Then we’re gonna come down, and we’re gonna make that fight with [Dmitry] Bivol. Then after that we’re gonna fight [Artur] Beterbiev.” Taking on those Russian monsters has been Benavidez’s No. 1 goal since entering the light heavyweight division in 2024.

Bivol was ordered by the WBC to face Benavidez after his victory over Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) in their rematch to become undisputed champion. However, Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) decided to drop that belt and pursue a trilogy against Beterbiev instead. Then that fight didn't happen, at least in part because Bivol had back surgery in August.

Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) believes the Russians will have no choice but to fight him eventually.

“Sooner or later," he said, "they’re gonna have to see me."

[joshj909]

Good to see he's not waiting around and he's just going out and getting all the biggest fights he can get

[530426]

Будет мясо !

[goose 5]

He'll beat Ramirez but Opetaia will massacre him.

[Evander]

Benavidez is a notorious slow starter

[Ruthless-RKO]

ANNOUNCED: David Benavidez will challenge Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez for his WBA & WBO cruiserweight world titles on May 2nd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Will this be Ring Magazine’s May ‘ultimate PPV card’

[Taansend]

He'll beat Ramirez but Opetaia will massacre him.

How do you see him beating Ramirez?

High volume KO stoppage?

Wide points decision?

Ramirez has looked good against everyone except for Hart, when he was tight at 168, and Bivol, a modern day great.

[Sendo Takeshi]

Even a SMW get's a shot at the unified titles before Jai.
At this point it's gotta be him.

[joshj909]

He'll beat Ramirez but Opetaia will massacre him.

How do you see him beating Ramirez?

High volume KO stoppage?

Wide points decision?

Ramirez has looked good against everyone except for Hart, when he was tight at 168, and Bivol, a modern day great.

It's very possible that they're both better than Opetaia. Whichever wins in May.

[Sendo Takeshi]

He'll beat Ramirez but Opetaia will massacre him.

How do you see him beating Ramirez?

High volume KO stoppage?

Wide points decision?

Ramirez has looked good against everyone except for Hart, when he was tight at 168, and Bivol, a modern day great.

You didn't ask me, but I'd take option C: Decision win because of the high volume.
Should definitely be a tough fight for both of them, though

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tickets for Benavidez vs Ramirez can be purchased through AXS.com, according to a Premier Boxing Champions announcement on Friday. Pre-sale starts on Tuesday, February 24, from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT with the codes PBC or GBP. Public on-sale begins on Wednesday, February 25, at 10 a.m. PT.

[Ruthless-RKO]

No hype, no problem: David Benavidez-Gilberto Ramirez stands on its own

David Benavidez may not have secured the blockbuster Cinco de Mayo weekend fight with the specific Mexican opponent he had long sought to draw into the ring.

But he just might have landed the better one.

Benavidez was joined at the Park MGM in Las Vegas on Saturday by Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and their respective teams in an introductory press conference to announce his challenge of Ramirez’s unified cruiserweight championship scheduled for May 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

In a wild turn, the event was respectful, straightforward and wholly unexceptional – a welcome change from the hype jobs ahead of many other recent marquee fights. The difference: The fight itself should be TNT.

“I feel like I’m on the cusp of being the face of boxing,” Benavidez said. “And if Zurdo wins, his stock goes up. There’s greatness on the other side of that tunnel for both of us. So we’re gonna come extremely prepared.”

Although the fight, predictably, is being billed as an all-Mexico war, that’s neither quite accurate – Benavidez is of Mexican descent but was born in Arizona – nor necessary. These are certified world-class fighters who have already shared the ring as sparring partners whose come-forward styles and no-B.S. personas should leave behind nothing but pure, uncut boxing delirium.

“This is something I’ve been working toward for a long time,” Benavidez said. “We’ve had so many great sparring sessions, and I told Zurdo then, we’ll have to do this on pay-per-view one day. Now we’re going for two titles on May 2 and I’m very grateful.”

Fight fans, too, should give thanks. The unbeaten Benavidez, 31-0 (25 KOs), a current light heavyweight titleholder and former super middleweight belt holder, is a 29-year-old who throws cinder blocks and reliably delivers action fights. For years, he held out at 168lbs in hopes to lure Saul “Canelo” Alvarez into a megafight that likely would have landed on Cinco de Mayo or Mexican Independence Day weekend – Alvarez’s standing dates. Instead, Benavidez moved on and made a name for himself, and now will climb another division to take on the 35-year-old Ramirez, 48-1 (30 KOs), who long toiled in virtual anonymity but simply kept putting away everyone put in front of him. To date, Ramirez’s only career loss came in 2022, against current light heavyweight kingpin Dmitry Bivol.

Although Ramirez has a lot of miles on the odometer, he has won all four fights since the Bivol defeat – including most recently unanimous decisions over Chris Billam-Smith and Yuniel Dorticos to, respectively, win and defend the WBO belt he still holds.

“I knew this would happen eventually,” said Ramirez, from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. “This is a dream come true. Right now is the right moment at 200 pounds. We’re going to feel comfortable and be at our best.”

Benavidez gave Ramirez work ahead of his 2016 whitewashing of super middleweight titleholder Arthur Abraham, calling them “great sessions” and saying he knew then that Ramirez was someone who would be around a long time. A decade later, they will pick up where they left off with Ramirez’s cruiserweight belts on the line.

“He’s ‘The Monster.’ He’s different,” Ramirez said of Benavidez. “He used to beat up a lot of sparring partners. Now we’re here, we’re two warriors and we’re making history.”

Only this time they will meet on what has become a holiday on the boxing schedule, in front of an audience at Las Vegas’ premier fight venue and on a PBC pay-per-view stream.

“For the whole history of Cinco de Mayo fights, it’s been tremendous fighters like Oscar [De La Hoya] and [Julio Cesar] Chavez,” Benavidez said. “Not just great fights, but wars. Because they never took easy fights. That’s what we’re doing. We’re two Mexican warriors going for the title.”

Strip away all the extras, though, and this fight should be a gift to purists. Never mind dates or broadcasters, fighter origins or manufactured beefs. If all goes to plan, Benavidez-Ramirez is a clash that can be held up as boxing’s modern standard.

“Neither team is too big into talking, and there won’t be a need for it,” said Julian Chua, Ramirez’s trainer. “I’ve seen them sparring up close, and those rounds were all pay-per-view worthy. Now you layer on that it’s a real fight, the competitive nature that brought them both to where they are today, at its peak form, it will be there.

“This is gonna be a shootout and a great war. I don’t feel any pressure, because the way these guys are, it’s gonna be a great fight.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Benavidez Plans To Take Over Mexican Holiday Fight Weeks In Las Vegas

For the last 17 years, Cinco De Mayo and Mexican Independence Day weekend have been dominated by boxing’s biggest stars.

Those two weekends were a staple for Floyd Mayweather from 2009 to 2015. After he retired, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez took the mantle and rose to the sport's pinnacle, with most of his biggest fights taking place on Mexican holiday weekends.
Now that Alvarez closes in on the end of his career, that has paved the way for someone else to take over.

David Benavidez will have the chance to further cement himself as one of boxing's stars, potentially being the next fighter to take over Cinco De Mayo and Mexican Independence Day weekend when facing Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez for his WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles on May 2.

The matchup between the Mexican champions will headline a PBC PPV on Prime Video at T-Mobile Arena.
“This is a fight that we've been trying to make for a long time,” Benavidez told The Ring before a press conference Saturday to officially announce his fight with Ramirez. “I’ve known Zurdo for years. We sparred him a lot, had a lot of great sparring sessions with him. I got him ready for his first world title fight when he fought Arthur Abraham, and he became the first Mexican champion at 168. Needless to say, we have a lot of history together.

“I know it's going to be a great fight. He's going to come in prepared, but I know what I've done with Zurdo in the past and know what I can do to him, so I'm extremely confident."

Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) currently holds the WBC light heavyweight title and is ranked No. 8 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list. The Phoenix, Arizona native and two-division titleholder notched his first defense with a dominant seventh-round stoppage of Anthony Yarde on Nov. 22.

Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, has won four straight fights since moving up to cruiserweight and the 34-year-old southpaw is coming off a unanimous decision over Yuniel Dorticos on June 28.

Benavidez, 29, isn’t planning on the 200-pound move being permanent for now, expecting a move back down to 175 pounds where he'd either face unified Ring, IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol or former undisputed divisional beltholder Artur Beterbiev on September 12 - fitness permitting.

“I don't hope, that's what it's going to be,” Benavidez said of fighting on Cinco De Mayo and Mexican Independence Day weekend. “The way I make sure of that is I'm just going to make the best fights happen. Hopefully, we get Beterbiev or Bivol right here in September, and then next year, the same thing. Just keep it going, giving fans the biggest fights possible.

“This is why boxing is boxing. The real fights are 50-50, I don't want easy fights. I want to achieve my greatness and show the fans who I am.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

http://www.boxingtalk.com/Ramirez-I-want-to-fight-the-best-and-Benavidez-is-one-of-the-best

Press Release

Undefeated two-division champion David “El Monstro” Benavidez officially announced his challenge of Mexico’s first cruiserweight champion, unified WBA and WBO king Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (pictured). The two men went face to face on Saturday at a press conference to promote their showdown in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 2nd headlining a PBC pay-per-view event available on Prime Video from T-Mobile Arena. The fight will deliver a first of its kind Mexico vs. Mexico showdown on one of boxing’s premier weekends featuring two fighters with a combined record of 79-1, with 55 KOs. During the press conference, the fighters and teams spoke of their intense past sparring sessions and promised that the action on May 2nd would far surpass those gym wars.

Pre-sale tickets are available Tuesday, February 24 from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com with the codes: PBC or GBP; Public on-sale begins Wednesday, February 25 at 10 a.m. PT through AXS.com. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Sampson Boxing, in association with TGB Promotions.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Saturday from Park MGM in Las Vegas:

GILBERTO “ZURDO” RAMIREZ

“I’m so glad to be here to make a huge fight for May 2nd. Don’t miss this fight. I know Team Benavidez, they actually helped me a lot for my first world title fight. We’re gonna make this an exciting fight. At the end of the day, the titles are staying with Zurdo.

“I knew this would happen eventually. This is a dream come true. Right now is the right moment at 200 pounds. We’re going to feel comfortable and be at our best.

“He’s the monster. He’s different. He used to beat up a lot of sparring partners. Now we’re here, we’re two warriors and we’re making history.

“I just want to be the best. I want to fight the best and he’s one of the best. I just want to give the fans who love this sport the best fights.”

DAVID BENAVIDEZ

“This is something I’ve been working toward for a long time. We’ve had so many great sparring sessions and I told Zurdo then, we’ll have to do this on pay-per-view one day. Now we’re going for two titles on May 2nd and I’m very grateful.

“I feel like I’m on the cusp of being the face of boxing. And if Zurdo wins, his stock goes up. There’s greatness on the other side of that tunnel for both of us. So we’re gonna come extremely prepared.

“For the whole history of Cinco de Mayo fights, it’s been tremendous fighters like Oscar and Chavez. Not just great fights, but wars. Because they never took easy fights. That’s what we’re doing. We’re two Mexican warriors going for the title.

“Zurdo is a top fighter. He’s a great fighter. I was helping him get ready for Arthur Abraham and we had some great sessions. I knew he was gonna be one of those guys who would be around for a long time. Eventually we were gonna do this.

“I’m gonna go in there and leave everything in the ring. I’m making sure I’m doing extra reps with anything and everything I do. That’s just the way I fight. I want to earn the fans respect and go in there and put on a great fight.

“I want to make my own lane and achieve greatness.”

JOSE BENAVIDEZ SR. David’s Father & Trainer

“David Benavidez doesn’t just have to win. He has to show out to prove he can go after the Bivols and Beterbievs. This is gonna be an explosive fight. I also want to thank all the Mexican people for all their love and support. David Benavidez is showing he truly is the Mexican Monster.

“Be there on May 2nd. A new era will begin. The era of the Mexican Monster.”

JULIAN CHUA, Ramirez’s Trainer

“I can’t say how much of an honor it is to be a part of Cinco de Mayo weekend. The heritage of Mexican boxing built this sport.

“Neither team is too big into talking, and there won’t be a need for it. I’ve seen them sparring up close, and those rounds were all pay-per-view worthy. Now you layer on that it’s a real fight, the competitive nature that brought them both to where they are today, at its peak form, it will be there.

“This is gonna be a shootout and a great war. I don’t feel any pressure, because the way these guys are, it’s gonna be a great fight.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman & CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

“I’m really excited about Cinco de Mayo weekend this year. Traditionally you’ve had great fighters like Julio Cesar Chavez, myself, Canelo Alvarez, fighting on this big weekend. But the fact that two Mexicans are fighting in the main event for the belts, it’s gonna be extra special.

“We have the first Mexican super middleweight and cruiserweight world champion on Cinco de Mayo in one corner in Zurdo Ramirez. And we know that Benavidez brings everything to the table, from round one to round twelve. I expect this to be a classic Mexican war. That’s what fight fans want to see. They want to be part of a historic event. That’s exactly what this fight brings to the table.

“These guys have 55 knockouts between them. They’re not gonna bore the crowd. They’re gonna put on a show. They’re technicians, but they’re fighters. The pressure is on. Cinco de Mayo is a date where people expect fireworks and that’s exactly what we will get.”

SAMPSON LEWKOWICZ, Sampson Boxing

“This is going to be a special Cinco de Mayo. I’m thankful that we’ve come together to make a great show and many more in the future. This is going to be one of the best shows that money can buy.

“Benavidez is taking his own way to become the best of the best. He’s not going to wait around for any challenger or champion. I want to thank ‘Zurdo’ for stepping up, because this is the fight.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBO, WBA deny special WBC belt for Gilberto Ramirez-David Benavidez

The WBO and WBA are prepared to withdraw their sanctioning of the May 2 unified cruiserweight championship fight between Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and David Benavidez due to the unexpected involvement in the fight by the WBC, Boxing Scene learned Thursday.

The Mexico-based WBC this week summoned two-division champions Ramirez, 48-1 (30 KOs), and Benavidez, 31-0 (25 KOs), to Mexico for a ceremony unveiling a special new “Tollan Tlatequi” belt for the Cinco De Mayo bout winner in Las Vegas.

That event, according to boxing officials, prompted a conversation between WBO President Gustavo Olivieri and WBA President Gilberto Mendoza.

Although the unbeaten Benavidez wears the WBC light heavyweight belt, his cruiserweight pursuit is for the WBO and WBA straps in an event those sanctioning bodies want to stamp as their own.

Thus, the WBO and WBA are expected to submit letters Friday to Golden Boy Promotions’ Oscar De La Hoya and Eric Gomez and Premier Boxing Champions’ Tom Brown and Luis DeCubas Jnr expressing their dismay.

If the WBC special belt is to be fought for, according to the letter, the WBO and WBA will not award their belts to the winner.

Noel Mikaelian, of Armenia, currently wears the WBC cruiserweight belt.

Olivieri and Mendoza did not immediately respond to messages left by BS on Thursday.

Because Ramirez is from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, and Benavidez is a Mexican-American from Phoenix, the fight is being billed as an all-Mexico affair, built around a significant date for that country (as well as on the annual boxing calendar).

The drama continues a weeks-long saga over belts that saw the WBC yank its belt from lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson after he fought for the WBO 140lbs belt and didn’t pay the WBC-requested sanctioning fees.

Then, earlier this week, the IBF declined to sanction cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia’s title defense in Las Vegas because of the presence of the new Zuffa Boxing belt.

Whether Opetaia will be stripped or not is still under consideration by the IBF.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Armando Resendiz is in talks to defend his WBA super middleweight title vs Jermall Charlo on the May 2nd ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez vs David Benavidez card, sources have told @MikeCoppinger.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Official: WBA will sanction Ramirez-Benavidez regardless of WBC special belt

An individual connected to the planned May 2 unified cruiserweight title bout pitting champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez versus unbeaten David Benavidez told Boxing Scene Tuesday that the WBA will indeed sanction the bout despite some friction over the WBC creating a special belt for the winner.

The WBO for now is maintaining its position that if the winner fights for the WBC’s new “Tollan Tlatequi” commemorative belt, the fight will not be sanctioned by the Puerto Rico-based body that currently has Mexico’s Ramirez as its champion.

“The World Boxing Organization has clearly established the conditions under which sanction approval could be granted, including the championship belts to be contested, displayed and awarded,” WBO President Gustavo Olivieri told Boxing Scene Tuesday. “We expect full adherence and compliance by the relevant parties, including the promoters of record, which have been duly notified.”

Former WBC super-middleweight champion Ramirez, 48-1 (34KOs), first claimed the WBO 200lbs belt by defeating Chris Billam-Smith in November 2024, successfully defending both belts in June over Cuba’s Yuniel Dorticos.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman invited both his light-heavyweight champion Benavidez, of Phoenix, and Ramirez to Mexico earlier this month for a ceremony announcing the new belt.

The WBC has presented a special belt to the winners of all Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence weekend fight cards since 2017. This one, however, is not for a WBC belt, and the intrusion bothered the rival bodies.

“Mauricio does have Benavidez as his [175lbs] champion … it’s not like it’s a complete highway robbery,” one individual connected to the fight told BS Tuesday.

The WBO notified the connected promoters of its intention to strip by letter, and one official told BS Monday they would work to soothe the hard feelings and keep both titles in play for the Las Vegas bout.

Sanctioning bodies have been embroiled in a few controversies in recent weeks, including the WBC’s decision to strip lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson of his belt after he won the WBO 140lbs belt January 31 and declined to pay the WBC a sanctioning fee.

Earlier this month, the IBF reported it would not sanction its cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia’s March 8 victory over ranked challenger Brandon Glanton as Opetaia became the first Zuffa Boxing champion with his unanimous-decision triumph in Las Vegas.