Benavidez Targets Mexican Independence Day Slot

The ambition extends beyond a single fight. Having headlined on Cinco de Mayo weekend for the first time with the Ramirez knockout on May 2, Benavidez is now positioning himself to own both of the calendar’s most lucrative dates for Mexican boxing in Las Vegas — a plan he laid out directly.

“I think it’s in the best interests of my career to keep trying to fight May 5th and September 14th,” Benavidez added

Implications

The September 14 date carries significant weight in boxing’s commercial calendar. It marks Mexican Independence Day and has historically drawn large pay-per-view audiences anchored by Mexican and Mexican-American fanbases in the United States. Canelo’s annual presence on that date built a framework that generated hundreds of millions in revenue across multiple promotions. His departure to Saudi Arabia creates a void that Benavidez believes he is now credentialed enough to fill.

At 32-0 with world titles at super middleweight, light heavyweight, and cruiserweight — becoming the first fighter in history to hold world titles at 168, 175, and 200 pounds — his argument is difficult to dismiss. He finished Ramirez in front of a Las Vegas crowd on the most storied weekend in Mexican boxing and called out both Canelo and Dmitry Bivol from the ring. Bivol and unified cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia are the primary names in circulation, with the Canelo fight remaining unlikely.