After two fights at light heavyweight in which he was unable to knock out his opponent, which raised some questions about his true power at 175 pounds, David Benavidez demolished Briton Anthony Yarde on Saturday night in a convincing performance by the so-called “Mexican Monster,” who then made an important announcement. After knocking out Yarde in the 7th round to cap a fight he dominated at will in Saudi Arabia, David Benavidez said he will jump up to cruiserweight to face Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on May 2nd, in what will be a Mexican war in the ring. Sinaloa native Ramirez is the unified (WBA, WBO) 200-pound champion.

David Benavidez demonstrates why he is a superior fighter

But to make this Las Vegas fight possible, which already looks unmissable, Benavidez needed to do his job at the ANB Arena in Riyadh (where it was already Sunday morning) against a very strong man, truly with a bodybuilder's physique, who came in with a record of 27-3 and 24 knockouts.

Benavidez doesn't have such an impressive physique, but when he's on the attack in the ring, there aren't many—if any—like the man of Mexican and Ecuadorian descent born in Phoenix.

Yarde landed some powerful right hands to Benavidez's face.

He said that's what provoked him.

“You want a fight? Then let's have one. And you saw what I did,” the unified light heavyweight champion recounted in an interview after improving his record to 31-0 (25 knockouts). “People wanted to see the knockout… they said I couldn't knock this guy out, that he didn't have power at 175.”

Benavidez's power is considerable, but what truly sets him apart is the combination of power and speed with which he throws punches. Even at light heavyweight, the “Mexican Monster” is capable of unleashing electrifying combinations and repetitions that are uncommon in the heavier weight classes. His volume and speed of punches are simply unmatched for a man of his physical stature. No one has been able to figure him out.

A flurry of 15 consecutive punches from the “Mexican Monster”

Benavidez threw more punches—normal for him—and landed more than Yarde in the first three rounds, but it could be said that the London giant was achieving his goal of preventing his opponent from stringing together combinations. He even made him look uncomfortable at times.

But a final punch in that third round, after which Benavidez looked at Yarde to let him know he had landed hard, marked the beginning of his true dominance.

Benavidez closed round 4 with a flurry of about 15 consecutive left hooks while Yarde held the world champion's right arm; A spectacular barrage of punches, allowed by referee Hector Afu, thrilled the crowd. Yarde started by letting his guard down, yet he landed a right hand on Benavidez at the start of round 6, then drove him back against the ropes for the first time. The 28-year-old recovered from the onslaught and finished off the challenger in the final minute, breaking his defense with two-handed punches and sending the Briton's blood spurting. "You're a lion," they told Yarde, who was immediately knocked out. "You're a warrior, you're a lion," they told Yarde in his corner, trying to motivate him given the situation. What followed was the end of his night.

After referee Hector Afu called for a doctor to check on Yarde before the start of round 7, Benavidez cornered him yet again and began to punish him with powerful right hands. Yarde felt the impact and started to go down, covering his face. One of the champion's punches landed when his opponent was on one knee, resulting in a point deduction.

Benavidez didn't even flinch and quickly finished the fight with another barrage of punches, pinning his opponent against the ropes, including a devastating left hook that left Yarde looking blank. The referee correctly intervened for a technical knockout at 1:51 of round 7.