David Benavidez Must Show More Desire If He Really Wants The Oleksandr Usyk Fight

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It boils down to a combination of solid accounting and a complete lack of that laid-back, old-school confidence.

If you take a closer look at what's driving his career right now, a few major obstacles are preventing him from taking that big bump.

The Comfort of the Cruiserweight Cash Cow

Benavidez recently won the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles beating Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in six rounds back in May. He's found a comfortable home at 200 pounds where his strength translates well, and now there's talk of him fighting Noel Mikaelian next. He's built a lucrative safety net for himself at cruiserweight. Why risk being dismantled by a top pro like Usyk when he can stay where he is, collect belts against flawed cruiserweights, and make big paydays with little risk?

“I'm not looking to fight Usyk right now, it's not true because I'm not moving up to heavyweight in my next fight, or the one after that,” said Benavidez on Facebook. “You have to respect the weight classes and give your body time to adapt. At heavyweight, you might be facing someone who is almost 7 feet tall and close to 280 pounds. You need to be absolutely ready for this kind of challenge.”

Benavidez let the cat out of the bag with his comments. He clearly mentioned the fear of facing guys who are almost seven feet tall and 280 pounds. That tells you everything about his current state of mind. He views the heavyweight division as a seemingly impossible mountain instead of seeing an immediate, golden opportunity in front of him. He treats the weight class change as a science project that requires years of physical practice, completely ignoring the fact that Usyk is a small, 39-year-old heavyweight who has just been pushed to the brink by a boxer.

He still holds his WBC light heavyweight title, hoping that the undisputed fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will finally be over. Beterbiev is already talking about needing a third fight with Bivol, which means that the split is completely closed. Instead of realizing that he is wasting precious time waiting for the older champions to tie the brackets, Benavidez is content to sit on the sidelines and wait for his turn in line.

All Lost Instinct

True greatness requires a complete disregard for safety. Back in the day, fighters jumped multiple divisions the second a unique opportunity presented itself. Benavidez has all the physical tools, relentless pressure, and youth to give Usyk nightmares, especially after Rico Verhoeven revealed the plan to beat him. But Benavidez simply lacks the instincts of the ultimate gambler. He would prefer to protect his unbeaten record and manage his career as a cautious businessman rather than risking the entire historic legacy.

At 39, Usyk has often spoken of having “one last dance” before retiring. If that's true, Benavidez's cautious approach will likely leave him watching on the sidelines while someone else gets a chance.

Benavidez absolutely lacks that throwaway, risk-taking mentality that creates true legends. His comments are full of the usual, overly cautious excuses about honoring weight classes and needing years to get his body in shape. If you want greatness, you take the plunge when opportunity is staring you in the face.

Look at what just happened in Egypt. Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxer with zero boxing experience, recently came out and completely exposed Usyk. Verhoeven was off the scorecards and making Usyk look ordinary until a stoppage with one second left in the 11th round saved Usyk's undefeated record.

If a kickboxer can do that to Usyk right now, a young, relentless presser like Benavidez would have a great chance to completely dismantle him.

Instead, Benavidez wants to stay in his comfort zone, talking about taking his time, while Usyk is clearly planning his last match in the United States before retiring. By the time Benavidez feels his body is “fully prepared,” Usyk will be gone.

It's a wonderful missed opportunity. Benavidez would rather play it safe against older, younger heavyweights like Bivol and Beterbiev or take belts against flawed cruiserweights instead of chasing a record-breaking fight. If he allows this window to close, he will spend the rest of his career wondering what would have happened if he had had the momentum to step up.