David Benavidez to Fight David Morrell in Early 2025

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.

David BenavidezThe 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 DavisLamont 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.

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez to Make Golden Boy Debut Against Sullivan Barrera

Gilberto ZurdoRamirez is ready to make his Golden (Boy) debut…

The 29-year-old Mexican professional boxer, a former super middleweight world titlist, will face former light heavyweight title contender Sullivan Barrera on July 9 in Los Angeles, according to Golden Boy Promotions.

Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez

Ramirez (41-0, 27 Kos), of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, will make his Golden Boy debut after signing with the promotion in February.

Ramirez, who became the first fighter from Mexico to win a world title at 168 by defeating Arthur Abraham by unanimous decision in 2016 to win the WBO belt, defended the title five times before jumping up to light heavyweight. Since then, he has TKO victories over Tommy Karpency and Alfonso Lopez.

“I’m excited to be headlining this show in Los Angeles with Golden Boy Promotions,” Ramirez said via news release. “It’s going to be a great night of boxing with fans back in the stands. I’ve always enjoyed fighting here, and I can’t wait to put on a show to continue my hunt for the light heavyweight championship.”

Barrera (22-3, 14 KOs), 39, of Guantanamo, Cuba, lost his only attempt to win a world title against WBA light heavyweight champ Dmitry Bivol in 2018. He has fought twice since then, a decision win against Sean Monaghan in November 2018 and a decision loss to Jesse Hart in June 2019. “I know that my opponent is a former world champion with a lot of experience and that he will come very much prepared,” Barrera said. “However, I feel that I have faced much better opposition. I’ve also spent my entire career in the light heavyweight division, something that will be totally new for him. It will be a difficult fight, but I will walk away with my hands raised in victory.”