Anthony Yarde in action. IMAGO / PRiME Media Images

Warrior Without A Crown: Anthony Yarde Fights A Fighter Others Avoid, Again

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Joseph Hammond | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Anthony Yarde is the most fearless fighter in the light heavyweight division. In an era where many elite fighters play “Duck, Duck, Goose,” Yarde has never backed down from a big scrap. At least not the way most fighters play it—surfing the social media buzz of dangerous names until the calendar runs out.

Yarde will be back in action soon enough. On November 22nd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he will step into the ring against David Benavidez in a meaningful light heavyweight fight.

David Benavidez is a man who answers to the nickname “The Monster.” In boxing, that’s a title you earn. The other fighter who has earned that title is Naoya Inoue (30-0). For Benevediz, it's far more catchy than his official ring moniker, “Bandera Roja.”

Credit where it's due

Speaking of earned boxing accolades. Benavidez is, ironically enough, the one man giving Yarde his due. “This is the only guy I respect in light heavyweight,” he said.

“The Monster” didn’t need to say that. But, he did.

Yarde is on any list of the top five light heavyweights of the present era, and it would be a shame if he ends his career without a title. He came up short in his two world title fights, first against Sergey Kovalev (35-5-1) in 2019 and Artur Beterbiev (21-1) in 2023.

Both of those losses deserve a closer look, as at the time, both men were highly avoided. Fighting against Kovalev, once the most feared man in boxing, was a big step up in class for Yarde. Yarde was stopped in the 11th round, but the round prior, Yarde had Kovalev in serious trouble and almost had his Russian opponent out of there first.

It was like an Old West duel, both men drew, and Kovalev just got there first. Maybe Yarde’s firepower jammed.

In London in 2023, in front of a massive crowd, Yarde took on Artur Beterbiev. The man that then (as now) Dmitry Bivol was avoiding. At the time, many fighters didn’t want to fight Bieterbiev, but Yarde was brave enough to step onto the mountain while others just studied maps.

It was a great fight with Yarde ahead on some cards against Bieterbiev at the time of the stoppage. Bieterbiev also offered strong praise for Yarde after that fight.

It seems the Bivol-Bieterbiev era in the division may soon come to an end, opening the possibility for another world title shot for the UK’s least heralded fighter. The man who never ducked anyone may well get a well-deserved belt around his waist.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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