David Benavidez has locked in his next opponent…

The 27-year-old Mexican & Ecuadorian American boxer will meet David Morrell in a high-stakes light heavyweight bout, Benavidez announced on social media.

The 175-pound bout will headline a PBC pay-per-view card and is expected to take place on January 25 in Las Vegas, per ESPN sources.

Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) was in talks to fight fringe contender Jesse Hart on December 14 on the undercard of the Gervonta Davis–Lamont Roach title bout, according to sources, but he secured a far more compelling bout.

Benavidez has chased boxing’s top star, Canelo Álvarez, for years. Álvarez hasn’t shown any interest in such a matchup, so Benavidez made the jump from 168 to 175 pounds this summer with a decision win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

Benavidez, who fights out of Miami, is a former two-time titleholder at 168 pounds. He’s rated No. 3 at 175 pounds.

Now, Benavidez is prepared for the toughest test of his career.

Cuba’s Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) also made the move to light heavyweight this summer. He encountered the most-challenging fight of his career with a unanimous decision over Radivoje Kalajdzic in August.

Morrell, 26, is ESPN’s No. 4 light heavyweight. ESPN’s top two 175-pounders, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, fight Saturday on ESPN+ for the undisputed light heavyweight championship.

The winner of Benavidez-Morrell will be positioned for a fight with the winner.