Benavidez and Yarde Set for WBA Light Heavyweight World Title Clash in Saudi Arabia – World Boxing Association

Undefeated American-Mexican powerhouse David “The Mexican Monster” Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) is set to face Britain’s Anthony “The Beast from the East” Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) on Saturday, November 22, at Riyadh’s ANB Arena. The bout will headline the Riyadh Season card “Ring IV – Night of Champions,” a stacked event bringing multiple world title fights under one roof.

Benavidez, 28, made the jump to light heavyweight after ruling the super middleweight ranks, where he captured a world title and turned back top contenders like Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade. In his 175-pound debut, he outgunned Oleksandr Gvozdyk, proving that his trademark pressure and high-octane punch output translate seamlessly to a heavier division. Now holding the WBA world title, he looks to cement himself as the man to beat — and potentially pave the road toward a blockbuster unification with Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol.

Yarde, 34, enters the fight with the bitter experience of two previous world title attempts — a dramatic knockout loss to Sergey Kovalev in 2019 and a war with Artur Beterbiev in 2023 that ended in the eighth round. With 24 knockouts in 27 wins, the Londoner remains one of the most dangerous mid-range punchers in the division. His mission will be to stamp his authority early and capitalize on any lapse from the champion as he seeks a monumental upset on neutral ground.

Coming in, Benavidez rides the momentum of a commanding unanimous decision over David Morrell in February 2025 in Las Vegas, his second outing at light heavyweight. Before that, he had closed his super middleweight chapter in dominant fashion — a TKO over Demetrius Andrade in November 2023 and a points win over Caleb Plant in March of the same year.

Yarde, meanwhile, is fresh off a unanimous decision over Lyndon Arthur this past April, though his last major world title appearance remains the hard-fought 2023 battle with Beterbiev — a brutal contest that showcased his firepower but also exposed defensive vulnerabilities against elite opposition.

Benavidez vs. Yarde promises fireworks: the champion aims to drown Yarde under relentless pressure and volume, while the challenger will look for that one fight-changing shot that could flip the script. The winner stands to reshape the immediate future of the light heavyweight landscape — and possibly set the stage for a historic unification.