The bout between David Benavidez and Michal Cieslak has been confirmed for December 5 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. They clash for the unified cruiserweight title, with three belts on the line. The contest will stream live on pay-per-view on DAZN and Prime Video.
- Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona, holds the unified WBA and WBO titles. The 29-year-old claimed the belts by sixth-round TKO against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in May to become a three-division world champion.
- Poland’s 37-year-old Cieslak (28-2, 22 KOs) holds the WBC title. He earned the interim title by fourth-round TKO against Jean Pascal in June and was elevated to full champion in September.
The IBF belt, previously held by Jai Opetaia, is currently vacant after he was stripped of the title ahead of his fight with Brandon Glanton in March.
What they’re saying
“I’m excited to be fighting in Arizona once again,” Benavidez said. “It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. I’m gonna give the fans in my home state of Arizona a great performance on December 5.”
Cieslak said, “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity my whole life. This is exactly why I’ve been training – to test myself and compete on the biggest stage against fighters like Benavidez. I’m confident, but there’s no point in talking nonsense. The focus has to be on hard work. Those who know me understand that I’m not going there just to show up. I will bring all three belts back to Poland after December 5.”
Benavidez vs Cieslak undercard
- The co-feature is a middleweight bout between Dallas native Vergil Ortiz Jr. (24-0, 22 KOs), who holds the interim WBC super welterweight title, and former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman (31-2, 23 KOs) of Clearwater, Florida.
- Emiliano Vargas (18-0, 15 KOs) of Oxnard, California, competes at super lightweight.
- Marco Romero (16-0, 14 KOs) of Overland Park, Kansas, is back in the ring at middleweight.
- Australia’s Nikita Tszyu (12-0-1, 10 KOs) makes his U.S. debut at super welterweight.
Their respective opponents are expected to be announced shortly.