Benavidez, Cieslak set for 3-belt cruiserweight unification bout
Also on PBC PPV card: Vergil Ortiz returns vs. Keith Thurman, Emiliano Vargas, Marco Romero, Nikita Tszyu in action
David Benavidez and Michal Cieslak will square off in a three-belt cruiserweight unification fight in the headliner of a PBC pay-per-view on DAZN on Dec. 5 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, PBC announced on Thursday.
The fight, which has been expected, will see Phoenix native Benavidez, the WBO and WBA titleholder, have a home area fight against WBC titlist Cieslak, who was recently elevated from interim status when Noel Mikaelian was stripped soon after ignoring a mandatory order to face Benavidez because he instead fought lineal champion Jai Opetaia in a ninth-round knockout loss on Sept. 12.
As expected, Vergil Ortiz Jr. will move up to middleweight and face Keith Thurman, who is also moving up in weight, in the scheduled 12-round co-feature.
“David Benavidez has been building his own legacy from the beginning,” promoter Sampson Lewkowicz said. “From when he became the youngest super middleweight world champion ever, to his time as light heavyweight king, and now as the unified cruiserweight champion, ‘The Mexican Monster’ hides from no one, and no one can stop him.”
Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs), 29, moved up to cruiserweight on May 2 and pummeled Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez into a sixth-round knockout to win the unified title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Recently, Benavidez made the decision to remain at cruiserweight and vacated the WBC light heavyweight title as well as the WBA “regular” belt.
After Opetaia defeated Mikaelian, Benavidez was in the ring talking up a showdown with Opetaia for May but Cieslak is up next.
“I’m excited to be fighting in Arizona once again,” said Benavidez, who has not fought at home since knocking out David Lemieux in the third round in a WBC interim light heavyweight title bout in 2022 at the same arena. “It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. I’m gonna give the fans in my home state of Arizona a great performance on Dec. 5.”
Cieslak (28-2, 22 KOs), 37, of Poland, has won seven consecutive fights — all by knockout — since suffering a knockdown in a unanimous decision loss challenging Lawrence Okolie for the WBO title in 2022.
Cieslak won the vacant WBC interim title in his last fight, a one-sided fourth-round knockout of former light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal in Pascal’s hometown of Laval, Canada, in June 2025.
“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity my whole life,” Cieslak said. “This is exactly why I’ve been training — to test myself and compete on the biggest stage against fighters like Benavidez. I’m confident, but there’s no point in talking nonsense. The focus has to be on hard work. Those who know me understand that I’m not going there just to show up. I will bring all three belts back to Poland.”
Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs), 28, of Grand Prairie, Texas, has been idle since blitzing Erickson Lubin in a second-round knockout to retain the WBC interim junior middleweight for the second time last November. A major fight with Jaron “Boots” Ennis was in the works but fell apart when Ortiz sued his promoter, Golden Boy, over contract issues, which were eventually settled ahead of court-ordered arbitration.
Part of the settlement included a re-worked deal that will keep him tied to Golden Boy for three more fights, the first of which will be against heavy underdog Thurman.
“I am pumped to share the ring with a former world champion in Keith Thurman, who I highly respect for taking the fight when everyone else decided to hide behind politics,” Ortiz said. “Being the co-main for Benavidez is an honor as I respect him equally as a fighter and a person. It’s gonna be a great night of boxing and overall I’m just happy to be active again.”
In just his second fight since 2022, mainly due to injuries, former unified welterweight titleholder Thurman (31-2, 23 KOs), 37, of St. Petersburg, Florida, suffered a one-sided sixth-round knockout loss challenging WBC junior middleweight titlist Sebastian Fundora on March 28.
“I’m back with a vengeance,” Thurman said. “I’m bringing the heat in December with an action fight against Vergil Ortiz — another young lion. I fight the best and the gladiator in me is not done yet.”
Ortiz, manager Rick Mirigian and Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya would have preferred a fresher opponent but Thurman was the only name opponent available and willing to fight him.
“There’s a reason why Vergil Ortiz Jr. is the most avoided fighter without a belt,” De La Hoya said. “As a former world champion, Keith Thurman is a crafty, experienced fighter who has been in there with the very best and will give Vergil some good
Vargas also on card
Also on the card, Top Rank junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (18-0, 15 KOs), 22, of Las Vegas, the 2025 Fight Freaks Unite prospect of the year and the son of former two-time junior middleweight titlist Fernando Vargas, will face an opponent to be determined in a 10-rounder.
“This year has been a true blessing for me,” Vargas said. “I started off with great performances in February and June, and outside the ring, I had some incredible opportunities like being part of the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a Mexico game during the World Baseball Classic, and taking my first steps into the world of film. These are experiences I will never forget, but I am very clear that my priority and my passion will always be boxing.
“I want to end this year on a high note by delivering a spectacular performance for my people and showing why I am ready to take on the biggest challenges of my career.”
Also on the main card will be two eight-rounders: Blue-chip middleweight prospect Marco Romero, who will have his third fight since signing with PBC, and Australian junior middleweight Nikita Tszyu, the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu and younger brother of former junior middleweight titlist Tim Tszyu. Their opponents are to be determined.
Romero (16-0, 14 KOs), 20, of Overland Park, Kansas, is coming off a highlight-reel one-punch first-round knockout of Matias Ferreira on Oct. 17 on the Sebastian Fundora-Ermal Hadribeaj undercard.
Romero, who has gained tremendous experience sparring in Montreal with super middleweight titleholders Christian Mbilli and Osleys Iglesias, was a standout amateur, winning 23-national titles, most notably a 2024 National Golden Gloves title and being named the tournament’s most outstanding boxer.
“I’m excited to come right back, which shows me how much PBC believes in me, especially by putting me on another big card like this,” Romero said. “To put me on another monster card with ‘The Monster’, David Benavidez, I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Tszyu (12-0-1, 10 KOs), 28, a southpaw, will make his United States debut. He is coming off a 12-round split draw in a regional title bout with undefeated countryman Ben Mahoney in August.
The fight on Dec. 5 will bring Tszyu to the same arena where Kostya Tszyu stopped Sharmba Mitchell in the third round of their rematch to retain the lineal/IBF junior welterweight title in 2004, the final victory of his career before losing his last bout and the title to Ricky Hatton seven months later.
“I’m excited to be making my U.S. debut,” Tszyu said. “To be on a massive David Benavidez card is truly an honor. He’s the most exciting fighter in the world. He comes forward, he hurts people and he never gives anyone an easy night. That’s the kind of fighting I respect. I also like to fight with that warrior mentality. Arizona is also where my father had his last victory, so it holds an important place in my heart.”
VERGIL-THURMAN BEING FINALIZED
Oscar De La Hoya: "There's been rumors about Keith Thurman. We're finalizing that deal there and hopefully we can have him on the Benavidez card in December, which will be great on DAZN. I believe in Arizona."VERGIL-THURMAN BEING FINALIZED
Oscar De La Hoya: "There's been rumors about Keith Thurman. We're finalizing that deal there and hopefully we can have him on the Benavidez card in December, which will be great on DAZN. I believe in Arizona."
