Oleksandr Usyk’s team has responded to growing calls for a future fight with David Benavidez, with advisor Sergey Lapin describing the matchup as an “interesting option” for the unified heavyweight champion.
Benavidez comes off a major win over Gilberto Ramirez, stopping him in the sixth round to claim the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles in his first fight at 200lbs. The victory made him a three-division world champion while he still holds the WBC light heavyweight belt.
That leaves Benavidez with several possible routes. He could pursue an undisputed fight with Dmitry Bivol at light heavyweight, with preliminary talks already held and a possible 190lb catchweight mentioned. Bivol must first face mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 30.
Another option is even bolder: a move to heavyweight to challenge Usyk, who holds the WBC, IBF and WBA titles. Turki Alalshikh has already expressed interest in staging Usyk vs. Benavidez in 2027.
Lapin confirmed that Usyk’s side is not dismissing the idea. “It could be a very interesting fight and definitely one that would attract a lot of attention from fans worldwide,” he said.
For now, Usyk’s focus remains on May 23, when he defends his WBC title against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
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