Three-division world champion David Benavidez showcased his skills and previewed his upcoming bout against Michal Cieslak during a media workout.
- Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona, faces Poland’s Cieslak (28-2, 22 KOs) on December 5 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
- They square off in a cruiserweight championship unification bout.
- Benavidez is a unified WBA and WBO champion, while Cieslak holds the WBC title.
Here’s what David Benavidez had to say this past Saturday (November 7) at Gila River Resorts and Casino at Vee Quiva in Laveen, Arizona.
‘Me being undisputed is inevitable’
“This is ‘Monstro’s’ world. I have arrived, and I’m not going anywhere,” Benavidez said. “Greatness isn’t given, it’s taken. And I’m going to take my greatness.”
“I’m really grateful for the people of Arizona. Having a Phoenix native getting into the ring here in a three-belt unification is historic. I’m happy to be representing Phoenix just like I always do no matter where I am.”
“My mindset and my focus is the same for every fight. I’m attacking every training camp with ferocity and viciousness. Because that’s what I want to show in the fight. I want to take these fighters apart and make a statement to everybody. I’m not playing with anyone.”
“I got two belts in my first fight at cruiserweight and now I’m going for a third. Me being undisputed is inevitable. I’m going to make my way to the top of the pound-for-pound list very soon. I will be number one.”
“The past three years, because I’ve been facing top opposition, I’ve been able to sharpen up my style and my skills. I’m working a lot on combinations, defense and body shots, but particularly the jab. The jab opens doors, but it closes doors as well.”
‘I don’t run away from any competition’
“I’m always the kind of fighter who has plans A, B and C. So if he wants to complicate things in the first couple of rounds, then I have plans to stop whatever it is that he’s doing well.”
“The biggest challenge with Cieslak is that he’s coming into this fight defending his title for the first time. Every fighter has that motivation after winning the title that you really don’t want to let it go. He’s going to come in strong, but I don’t run away from any competition.”
“This workout is a way for me to give back to the community and show love to the people here. It’s something fun that we don’t do every day. I’m thrilled we were able to make this happen for the people.”
Benavidez vs Cieslak live on PPV
The Benavidez vs Cieslak bout will stream live on pay-per-view on DAZN.
- The co-feature is a middleweight matchup between Dallas native Vergil Ortiz Jr. (24-0, 22 KOs) and Keith Thurman (31-2, 23 KOs) of Clearwater, Florida.
- Among the undercard bouts, Emiliano Vargas (18-0, 15 KOs) of Oxnard, California, takes on Omar Juarez (21-2, 8 KOs) of Brownsville, Texas, at super lightweight.