David Benavidez gives ‘all the credit’ to one fighter for pushing him to elite level

On November 22, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, David Benavidez systematically broke down Anthony Yarde and stopped him in round seven to retain his WBC light heavyweight title.

It was an impressive finish from “The Monster” as he controlled the fight from the opening bell before increasing the tempo to secure the stoppage. During the post-fight press conference, Benavidez gave immense credit to Gennady Golovkin for helping shape his fighting style in their sparring sessions.

David Benavidez delivers impressive performance in Riyadh against Anthony Yarde

Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) began the fight on the front foot, looking to cut the ring off and trap Yarde, who appeared content to fight off the back foot and counter.

Yarde (27-4, 24 KOs) looked strong when he used his jab, but “The Monster” began to close the distance and land hurtful punches. The Brit had his moments, landing counter shots, but from near the end of the fourth round, the fight looked like a formality, when Benavidez was allowed to land a barrage of hooks, while Yarde held his other hand.

The seventh round saw the end for the Brit, with Benavidez unloading early on in the round. “The Monster” soon scored a knockdown, but was deducted two points for hitting Yarde while he was down. Brutal punches soon followed, and the referee had seen enough, jumping in to save Yarde from further punishment. Benavidez ultimately retained his title via a seventh-round TKO with relative ease.

David Benavidez credits Golovkin for the sparring that shaped him

Speaking to the media after his win, David Benavidez gave huge credit to the influence of Golovkin:

“Honestly, I give Gennady Golovkin all the credit he deserves, because he’s the reason why I’m the fighter I am today. Because when I would spar with him in there, those were not sparring sessions; they were real fights. 

“And he’d push me to the level so I’d have to find different ways to block, to get out of the way, because he was punching with everything. So, he made me learn more and push my IQ up, just to be in there with him.

“I learned a lot with him, so I give him all the credit. I am the fighter I am today because of those sparring sessions I had with him. I sparred him from 15 to 19 years old. The last time I sparred him was when he fought Daniel Jacobs. So, I learned a lot from that guy. Hats off to Gennady Golovkin. He’s a great man. He’s a great champion in and outside the ring. I owe him a lot,” said Benavidez.