RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – November 22, 2025 – In a display of raw power and relentless pressure that lived up to every pre-fight promise of a “shootout,” WBC light heavyweight champion David “The Mexican Monster” Benavidez dismantled challenger Anthony Yarde with a vicious seventh-round TKO, retaining his title and solidifying his status as the division’s most feared force. The sold-out ANB Arena erupted as the referee waved off the contest at 1:59 of the round, with Yarde (27-4, 24 KOs) absorbing a barrage of unanswered hooks and uppercuts against the ropes. Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs), the 28-year-old Phoenix phenom, improved to 31-0 while extending his light heavyweight run to a perfect 3-0, all inside the distance since jumping from super middleweight.
From the opening bell, Benavidez stalked Yarde with his trademark aggression, using his 6-foot-2 frame and 80-inch reach to pepper the Londoner with jabs and body shots. Yarde, a 34-year-old power puncher with 24 knockouts on his ledger, came out firing, landing a sharp left hook in the first that briefly staggered the champion.
The middle rounds saw Yarde summon the resilience that had carried him through four straight wins leading into this, his third world title bid. He countered Benavidez’s advances with booming right hands and body work, even rocking the champ with an uppercut in the fourth that had the Saudi crowd on its feet.
True to form, Benavidez ramped up the volume in the fifth and sixth, targeting Yarde’s midsection with piston-like hooks that visibly slowed the challenger’s output. By the seventh round, Yarde’s defence was crumbling. His high guard was absorbing heavy punishment as Benavidez poured on combinations, dropping him with a vicious left hook. The referee deducted a point from Benavidez for landing a shot while Yarde was down, but the champion immediately resumed the assault. Moments later, another left hook crashed into the wounded Yarde against the ropes; the referee saw enough and waved the fight off at 1:59 of the seventh round.
The win caps a stacked “Ring IV: Night of Champions” card promoted by Queensberry and Riyadh Season, which drew raves for its global talent. Earlier, Devin Haney edged Brian Norman Jr. via unanimous decision (114-113, 117-110, 116-111) to claim the WBO welterweight strap in a tactical masterclass, while Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez unified super flyweight gold with a 10th-round KO of Fernando Martinez. Abdullah Mason also prevailed over Sam Noakes by UD in a lightweight clash that hinted at future stardom.
Muki is a long time boxing fan and enjoys Mixed Martial Arts. He has been writing boxing articles since he was a teen and his favorite fighters of the past are Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Prince Naseem Hamed. Favorite MMA fighters are Khabib Nurmagomedov, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko.