The ring walks for the main event are expected around 11:30 p.m. ET, following a card that began with prelims at 5:30 p.m. ET and a main card starting at 8 p.m. ET. In a clash of two-division champions, Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) enters the ring as a highly anticipated challenger against Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs), who is defending his unified titles.
The event is available as a pay-per-view broadcast via DAZN. For those not currently subscribed, DAZN offers various subscription tiers and pricing options to provide access to the event and other scheduled pay-per-view fights throughout the year. Interested viewers can explore the available monthly and annual membership plans on the platform’s official website to secure access to the bout.
Benavidez’s climb to cruiserweight
For David Benavidez, the move to cruiserweight comes after he grew tired of waiting for opportunities in lower weight classes and began chasing the sort of opportunity that would put him against the world’s best. While he currently holds the WBC light heavyweight title—having been promoted to full champion last year after winning an interim belt against Oleksandr Gvozdyk—his path has been marked by volatility. Benavidez previously held the WBC super middleweight title twice between 2017 and 2020, but lost the belt both times outside the ring: once for a failed drug test involving cocaine and once for failing to make weight for a defense against Alexis Angulo.
The decision to move up was accelerated by the landscape at super middleweight. According to CBS Sports, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez became the undisputed champion and avoided defending his belts against Benavidez, leaving the fighter without a clear path back to a world championship in that division.
“I think what I’m doing is I’m just trying to say I want to be the best, no matter what category or weight class I’m in. Now, I’m going up to cruiserweight, I just want to fight the biggest and best champions out there. I could’ve stayed around 175 and taken a safe title defense but I’m looking to challenge myself. I’m not looking for safe. The way I get the best out of myself is challenging myself.” David Benavidez, via CBS Sports
Benavidez’s recent momentum includes a victory over David Morrell for the WBA secondary title and a seven-round stoppage of Anthony Yarde in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this past November.
For more on this story, see 2026 Boxing Schedule: Upcoming Fights and Key Dates.
Ramirez’s unified title defense record
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez enters the T-Mobile Arena as a seasoned champion across multiple divisions. His history in the super middleweight class began in April 2016 when he won the WBO title, a belt he defended five times. His career trajectory eventually led him to light heavyweight, where he suffered his only professional defeat to Dmitry Bivol in November 2022 for the WBA title.
Ramirez rebounded by moving to cruiserweight, where he secured the WBA title via a decision win over Arsen Goulamirian in March 2024. He later added the WBO title to his collection by defeating Chris Billam-Smith. Since unifying the belts, Ramirez has defended them once, defeating Yuniel Dorticos in June 2025.
Undercard results and co-feature stakes
The main card features a high-stakes co-feature for the WBA super middleweight title, with Jaime Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs) challenging Armando Resendiz (16-2, 11 KOs). Other scheduled bouts include a super lightweight clash between Oscar Duarte Jurado and Angel Fierro, and a super bantamweight fight between Jorge Chavez and Tito Sanchez.
Early results from the card show a series of unanimous decisions. Ismael Flores defeated Isaac Lucero (98-92, 98-92, 99-91), and Daniel Blancas beat Raul Salomon (99-91, 99-91, 100-90). In the lightweight division, Dylan Capetillo secured a unanimous decision over James William Pierce III with scores of 39-37 across all three cards. The most decisive early result came in the light heavyweight bout, where Juan Carrillo defeated Marlo Delgado via a fourth-round KO.
The action in the super bantamweight bout between Jorge Chavez and Tito Sanchez has been particularly active. Early updates from Yahoo Sports Canada describe a fight where both men are slugging it out
, with Chavez finding success on the inside and trading non-stop in the final minute of a recent round.
What to watch in the main event
As Benavidez makes his debut at cruiserweight, the primary technical question is how his power and speed translate to the heavier division. Having spent years as an elite super middleweight and recently dominating at light heavyweight, Benavidez is attempting to conquer a third weight class to establish himself as a multi-divisional force.
For Ramirez, the objective is to utilize his established presence in the division to secure a victory. As a unified champion who has already successfully navigated the jump from super middleweight to cruiserweight, Ramirez possesses the size and experience advantage in this specific weight class. The fight will determine if Benavidez’s desire to avoid safe defenses can lead him to a victory over a champion defending his titles in Las Vegas.
