David Benavidez, the monster who conquered ‘the beast’

David Benavidez (31-0) continued his impressive run at 175 pounds with a dominant technical knockout victory over Anthony Yarde (27-4) in Saudi Arabia. Although ‘Red Flag’ was briefly outmatched at one point, he never abandoned the relentless champion’s mentality that has defined his career.

‘The Mexican Monster’ set the tone from the opening round, overwhelming Yarde with pressure, body shots, and constant aggression. He pressed his opponent into corners and looked to finish early, but the bell came just in time to save the Briton.

Yarde returned for the second round with more initiative. He held his ground in the centre of the ring and absorbed Benavidez’s heavy punches, but the American-born fighter’s defence and ring control proved crucial. Benavidez pushed Yarde back again, trapped him in a corner, and landed combinations that Yarde managed to survive.

The pattern continued in the third round, when Benavidez connected with a powerful left-right to Yarde’s face. The Briton took the shots well, but this time the bell did not come to his rescue and he looked close to going down.

By the fourth round, tensions rose. Benavidez did not immediately release Yarde after the bell, prompting the referee to step in. Yarde saw that ‘The Mexican Monster’ was clearly agitated, though the situation did not escalate further.

From round five onward, Benavidez became more calculated. He measured Yarde’s recovery after each exchange and attacked in those brief moments when the Briton was unable to catch his breath.

Yarde showed greater ambition in the sixth, launching powerful combinations in search of a knockout. However, they failed to trouble Benavidez, who responded with sharp counters and heavy shots that forced Yarde to clinch in an attempt to slow the assault.

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By the start of the seventh, the physical toll was clear on Yarde’s face. The referee ordered the doctor to check the swelling around his right eye, and although Yarde was allowed to continue, the damage mounted quickly. After absorbing more clean shots to the injured area and becoming trapped again in a corner with no escape, the referee ultimately stopped the fight.

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