With his gloves on and his muscles tense, David Benavidez is prepared for a thrilling bout. However, it’s not something that fans are approving of. The American fighter, one fight away from undisputed glory at 175, has decided to be active instead of waiting for his title shot. While there were initial rumors of him facing David Morrell, another boxer who found a new lease of life at 175, those didn’t turn out to be true. Now, the eventual choice of opponent by the interim light heavyweight champion has come under heavy scrutiny.

The probable showdown between Morrell, 26, and Benavidez, 27, stirred headlines when the fight rumors started. The hypothetical fight offered fans an explosive match. Instead, Benavidez, at 29-0, has picked up Jesse Hart.

David Benavidez vs. Jesse Hart: slated for December card

TalkSports’ Michael Benson turned to his X handle and revealed the conversation he shared with Benavidez. The latter admitted that he was not fighting Morrell, but rather Hart. The post read, “Told by David Benavidez that reports of him potentially fighting David Morrell next are not true, he will be facing Jesse Hart in December.”

In addition, the fight could find its place on the speculated Gervonta Davis‘ card. While he is also on the lookout for an opponent, Benavidez has already settled on Hart. However, the fight announcement left a sour taste in the mouths of the fans.

The announcement leaves fans shaking their heads

One fan wondered whether Benavidez was avoiding a fight with Morrell. They said, “Benavidez has been running from Morrell.“ Notably, Morrell leveraged his WBA regular super middleweight title to move up to 175 and clinched the regular light heavyweight title too. A loss at his hands could seriously hamper Benavidez’s title aspirations.

A user drew parallels between Benavidez’s fight with Morrell and Benavidez’s hot pursuit of Canelo Alvarez. They declared, “Morrel is David’s canelo If that makes sense.“ Alvarez didn’t fight Benavidez, who was his WBC mandatory for over two years and instead chose other names over him.

Someone didn’t like the fight announcement, as they believed it was Benavidez taking a step back. They announced, “That’s not big news at all. Step backwards.“ Benavidez fought the likes of Caleb Plant and Oleksandr Gvozdyk in the recent past, and given Hart’s resume, who is again building up after suffering from setbacks, some might feel Hart is a downgrade in the caliber of his opponents.

One comment expressed discontent with the fight. The comment read, “Damn, was actually super pumped for a Benavidez fight for once, sigh.“ Benavidez’s aggressive fighting style has earned him accolades, but some have questioned his resume and the choice of opponents.

Lastly, one fan declared it a disappointment. They commented, “Damn what a disappointment.“ A fight between Morrell and Benavidez could have been a fact-action fight with high stakes and implications for the title picture of the light heavyweight division.

What do you make of this coming fight between David Benavidez and Jesse Hart? Do you agree with Benavidez’s choice of opponent? Let us know in the comments below.