David Benavidez’s Walkaround Weight: ‘Mexican Monster’ Was 13 Pounds Over Light Heavyweight Limit Four Weeks Out From Gvozdyk Fight

Is Canelo Alvarez ducking David Benavidez? This is a question that has plagued the minds of many boxing fans for a long time. Canelo’s answer to that question is an astronomical price tag of $200 million. “If the money is right, I can fight right now. I don’t give a s***….right now, I can do whatever I want,” Alvarez boldly declared after putting on a clinical boxing display against Jaime Munguia on May 4. However, Benavidez chose not to be held to ransom by the Mexican superstar. Tired of playing the waiting game, the Phoenix, Arizona native suggested the 33-year-old boxer “buy a pair of n*ts”, and eventually decided to jump to the 175-pound weight category (light-heavyweight) to fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15.

However, you may be shocked to find out what his walk-around weight is. So much so, that the ‘Mexican Monster’ was still 13 pounds heavier than the light-heavyweight limit four weeks before his fight with Gvozdyk. A couple of days before the Fury-Usyk fight, Benavidez sat down with UFC icons Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo for their podcast show Pound 4 Pound to discuss his hopes and aspirations after the Canelo snub.

Cruiserweight is the limit for David Benavidez

In the interview, Benavidez stated that he is willing to go up the weight categories to challenge himself. He wants to grab belts in multiple weight categories and solidify his status as the P4P king in boxing. “Light-heavyweight isn’t my final destination. I really want to go up to Cruiserweight, you know, by the time my career is done,” he confessed.

“We’re going to move one step at a time. We got light heavyweight and that’s a division I’ve been wanting to go to for a long long time, I mean,” Benavidez revealed to Usman and Cejudo.Then he went on to reveal that he was 13 pounds heavier four weeks into his fight against Gvozdyk. “I did my 30-day weigh-in. I only have 13 lbs left to lose. So I mean so I feel great,” he admitted to Henry Cejudo, which shocked Kamaru. 

Then came the kicker! When asked by Usman, “What do you walk around at?”, Benavidez revealed that his normal walk-around weight was 200 pounds. Pretty shocking considering he spent his entire career till now fighting in the super-middleweight division, which is 168 lbs. With the weight he comfortably carries himself around in, he could easily make cruiserweight.

Moreover, Benavidez said he felt good about the weight he was at just a month away from the fight. “I am like a month away and I feel good….I never felt this good in weight terms,” said the Mexican Monster.

Interestingly, Canelo had something to say about Benavidez’s weight while pointing out the reason why he wouldn’t fight him unless the money was astronomically high.

Is the Mexican Monster a weight bully? Canelo Alvarez thinks so

In a previous media interview, Alvarez pointed out that the $150-200 million price tag would be the only thing that would make him fight Benavidez, who according to Canelo “brings 25 pounds more” on fight night.

The “25-pound” dig was about Benavidez’s weight gain after rehydration the day after his weigh-in for the 168-pound fight against former two-division champion Demetrius Andrade. Nonetheless, the 28-0 undefeated fighter put on good shows in 2023, knocking out former two-division champion Andrade and securing an impressive unanimous decision win against former super-middleweight champion Caleb Plant before that.

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen how Benavidez will fare in his debut fight in the light-heavyweight category. Moreover, do you see Benavidez winning belts in cruiserweight? With Usyk expressing his interest in going down to cruiserweight again in the near future, do you see the possibility of a Benavidez-Usyk matchup? Let us know in the comment section below.