David Benavidez has spent years chasing a shot at Canelo Alvarez. In the end, he was forced to move up a weight class empty-handed. Determined not to let history repeat itself in the light heavyweight division, the 28-year-old set his sights on Dmitry Bivol. He was the WBC’s mandatory challenger after Bivol defeated Artur Beterbiev in their undisputed rematch. By then, the undefeated Mexican had already made a statement with a dominant win over David Morrell, positioning himself perfectly for the challenge.

However, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh had no interest in making that fight. To make matters worse, Dmitry Bivol vacated the belt to avoid the matchup, seemingly prioritizing a rubber match with Artur Beterbiev . That plan collapsed when Bivol underwent back surgery for an

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