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Benavidez Vs. Yarde – How Does It Play Out?
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

WBC Light Heavyweight Champion David Benavidez takes on Anthony Yarde in a defense of his WBC Light Heavyweight The on November 22, as we look at how the fight could play out.

Benavidez makes his first defense of his belt, which he acquired after Dmitry Bivol vacated the belt rather than face The Mexican Monster who was his WBC mandatory. Benavidez has had two fights at 175 since moving up from 168. Wins against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell. While they were wins to retain his 30-0 record, he has yet to secure a knockout at 175, despite having a reputation as a KO artist. 

Yarde, meanwhile, is an experienced operator. He beat Lyndon Arthur in his last fight to cap off their trilogy bout. Yarde has been in two world title fights, losing to Sergey Kovalev and Artur Beterbiev. However, he had his moments in those bouts, showing he is a threat to Benavidez. And given he has a 27-3-0 record, which includes 24 KOs, he is someone who can hurt his opponent. Benavidez was ready for the battle. 

“This is his third attempt at a title. This is a man who has his back against the wall. He’s a dangerous man. I like it when I go up against a person with nothing to lose. I hope he comes 100% for his safety because if he doesn’t, it’s going to be a problem. It’s going to be a problem for him even at 100%,” Benavidez said 

The Approach

Benavidez employs a high-octane style, meaning he will aim to cut off the ring and pin Yarde on the ropes. Benavidez’s game plan will focus on throwing non-stop, fast-paced combinations, utilizing his high guard to deflect punches while constantly walking forward. Crucially, he will dedicate his efforts to breaking down Yarde’s stamina with vicious body shots in the early and middle rounds, a tactic he often uses to turn the tide in the latter half of a fight.

Conversely, Yarde’s success hinges entirely on moments of explosive offense, acting as a coiled-spring counter-puncher. His primary goal is to frustrate Benavidez’s rhythm by using sharp, lateral footwork to avoid being trapped on the ropes and to reset the action to the center of the ring. Yarde will look for openings when Benavidez commits to his long combinations, seeking to exploit the champion’s occasional defensive lapses with a single, fight-ending right hand or left hook. The key tactical question for Yarde is endurance; he must conserve energy while resisting the urge to match Benavidez’s volume. 

This article first appeared on BoxingNews.com and was syndicated with permission.

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