David Benavidez Crowned WBC Light Heavyweight Champion After Bivol Vacated Title

Dmitry Bivol vacated the WBC light-heavyweight world championship, and as a result, David Benavidez was fully elevated by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman.

“David Benavidez has been elevated to full WBC light-heavyweight world champion, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed. Benavidez held the ‘interim’ belt prior to Dmitry Bivol’s vacancy of the title,” Ring Magazine posted on X.

Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs), who recently defeated David Morrell by unanimous decision, had been holding WBC’s interim light-heavyweight title while waiting for an opportunity to face Bivol. With this elevation, Benavidez’s position at 175 is solidified and his focus shifts to future matchups.

The newly crowned champion went to Instagram and posted, “Just got the news that Bivol decided to vacate his title instead of fighting me. Now that makes me the WBC world champion at light heavyweight. This is not the ideal way for me to become a world champion, but nevertheless, I am now the WBC light heavyweight champion of the world, and I intend to put on the best fights.”

Undefeated Benavidez made history as the youngest super middleweight world champion, capturing the WBC 168-pound title in 2017 at just 20 years old. He reclaimed the same belt in 2019. In 2024, he moved up to light heavyweight, winning the interim title against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and later defending it successfully against Morrell Jr. on February 1st.

Benavidez poses a serious threat to Bivol due to his relentless pressure-fighting style, which may have led to Bivol’s decision to vacate the title. A lopsided loss to “The Mexican Monster” could have damaged Bivol’s image and jeopardized the appeal of a potential trilogy bout with Beterbiev—something he couldn’t risk.