Anthony David Benavidez, born December 17, 1996, in Phoenix, Arizona, is an American professional boxer who has held world championships in three weight classes per Wikipedia. He has held the unified WBA (Super) and WBO cruiserweight titles since May 2026, and previously held the WBC super middleweight title twice between 2017 and 2020, and the WBC and WBA (Regular) light heavyweight titles from 2025 to 2026.
Benavidez claimed his first world title at 20 years, eight months and three weeks old — the youngest super middleweight world champion in history. Nicknamed "El Bandera Roja" and "The Mexican Monster," he is trained by his father, José Benavidez Sr., and his older brother José Benavidez Jr. is a former WBA interim welterweight titleholder. He made his pro debut at 16, knocking out Erasmo Moreno in one round in Puerto Peñasco.
BoxRec-style profile
- Birth name: Anthony David Benavidez
- Born: December 17, 1996 — Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
- Nationality: American
- Height: 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
- Reach: 74½ in (189 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Pro debut: Aug 17, 2013 (Win by KO vs Erasmo Mendoza)
- Last bout: May 2, 2026 (Win by KO vs Gilberto Ramírez)
- Total rounds boxed: 173 (summed from the bout table below)
- Divisions: Super middleweight, Light heavyweight, Cruiserweight
- KO percentage: 81.2% (26 KO wins in 32 wins)
- Titles held (major, with reign dates): WBC super middleweight title September 8, 2017 – September 2018 (stripped after a positive cocaine test) and September 28, 2019 – August 2020 (stripped after missing weight); WBC interim super middleweight title May 21, 2022 – 2024; WBC and WBA (Regular) light heavyweight titles 2025 – 2026; unified WBA (Super) and WBO cruiserweight titles since May 2026
- Born: December 17, 1996 — Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
- Nationality: American
- Height: 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
- Reach: 74½ in (189 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Divisions: Super middleweight, Light heavyweight, Cruiserweight
Record at a glance
- Total bouts: 32
- Wins: 32
- Wins by KO: 26
- Losses: 0
- Losses by KO: 0
- Draws: 0
- No contests: 0
- Born: December 17, 1996 — Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
- Nationality: American
- Height: 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
- Reach: 74½ in (189 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Divisions: Super middleweight, Light heavyweight, Cruiserweight
Fight-by-fight record
| No. | Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Round/Time | Venue / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 17, 2013 | Erasmo Mendoza | Win | KO | 1 (4) | El Chamizal, Puerto Peñasco, Mexico |
| 2 | Dec 4, 2013 | Édgar Gálvan | Win | KO | 1 (4), 2:02 | Salón Las Pulgas, Tijuana, Mexico |
| 3 | Jan 31, 2014 | Omar Aispuro | Win | TKO | 1 (4), 1:15 | Caliente Racetrack, Tijuana, Mexico |
| 4 | Apr 11, 2014 | Arturo Martínez | Win | TKO | 1 (4), 2:12 | Hipódromo Caliente, Arena Tecate, Tijuana, Mexico |
| 5 | May 24, 2014 | Erick Revueltas | Win | KO | 4 (4), 0:40 | Auditorio Municipal, Tijuana, Mexico |
| 6 | Aug 23, 2014 | Jairo Dolores | Win | TKO | 1 (4), 1:54 | Campos Deportivos de la Casa Social Cerveceria, Tecate, Mexico |
| 7 | Oct 11, 2014 | Juan Hernández | Win | TKO | 1 (4), 1:36 | Gimnasio Municipal de box, Nogales, Mexico |
| 8 | Dec 20, 2014 | Azamat Umarzoda | Win | UD | 6 | Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| 9 | Apr 25, 2015 | Rollin Williams | Win | TKO | 1 (8), 2:59 | Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant NABF Junior light heavyweight title |
| 10 | May 15, 2015 | Ricardo Campillo | Win | TKO | 2 (6), 1:21 | US Airways Centre, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| 11 | Sep 5, 2015 | Alberto Gutiérrez | Win | TKO | 1 (6), 0:55 | CUM Aguaprieta, Agua Prieta, Mexico |
| 12 | Nov 14, 2015 | Felipe Romero | Win | TKO | 1 (8), 2:00 | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 13 | Jan 19, 2016 | Kevin Cobbs | Win | TKO | 2 (8), 1:08 | Club Nokia, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| 14 | Apr 30, 2016 | Phillip Jackson Benson | Win | KO | 2 (8), 2:07 | StubHub Center, Carson, California, U.S. |
| 15 | Jun 25, 2016 | Francy Ntetu | Win | TKO | 7 (8), 1:30 | Barclays Center, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| 16 | Aug 5, 2016 | Denis Douglin | Win | TKO | 10 (10), 0:35 | 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| 17 | Jan 28, 2017 | Sherali Mamajonov | Win | KO | 2 (8), 1:04 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 18 | May 20, 2017 | Rogelio Medina | Win | TKO | 8 (12), 1:01 | Energy Arena, Laredo, Texas, U.S. |
| 19 | Sep 8, 2017 | Ronald Gavril | Win | SD | 12 | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBC super middleweight title |
| 20 | Feb 17, 2018 | Ronald Gavril | Win | UD | 12 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC super middleweight title |
| 21 | Mar 16, 2019 | J'Leon Love | Win | TKO | 2 (10), 1:14 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. |
| 22 | Sep 28, 2019 | Anthony Dirrell | Win | TKO | 9 (12), 1:39 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBC super middleweight title |
| 23 | Aug 15, 2020 | Roamer Alexis Angulo | Win | RTD | 10 (12), 3:00 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S. |
| 24 | Mar 13, 2021 | Ronald Ellis | Win | TKO | 11 (12), 2:03 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S. |
| 25 | Nov 13, 2021 | Kyrone Davis | Win | TKO | 7 (10), 0:48 | Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| 26 | May 21, 2022 | David Lemieux | Win | TKO | 3 (12), 1:31 | Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBC interim super middleweight title |
| 27 | Mar 25, 2023 | Caleb Plant | Win | UD | 12 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC interim super middleweight title |
| 28 | Nov 25, 2023 | Demetrius Andrade | Win | RTD | 6 (12), 3:00 | Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC interim super middleweight title |
| 29 | Jun 15, 2024 | Oleksandr Gvozdyk | Win | UD | 12 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBC interim light heavyweight title |
| 30 | Feb 1, 2025 | David Morrell | Win | UD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC interim light heavyweight title; Won WBA (Regular) light heavyweight title |
| 31 | Nov 22, 2025 | Anthony Yarde | Win | TKO | 7 (12), 1:59 | anb Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Regular) and WBC light heavyweight titles |
| 32 | May 2, 2026 | Gilberto Ramírez | Win | KO | 6 (12), 2:59 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBA (Super) and WBO cruiserweight titles |
Titles & notes
Major title reigns (start–end): WBC super middleweight title September 8, 2017 – September 2018 (stripped after a positive cocaine test) and September 28, 2019 – August 2020 (stripped after missing weight); WBC interim super middleweight title May 21, 2022 – 2024; WBC and WBA (Regular) light heavyweight titles 2025 – 2026; unified WBA (Super) and WBO cruiserweight titles since May 2026
- Apr 25, 2015 vs Rollin Williams: Won vacant NABF Junior light heavyweight title
- Sep 8, 2017 vs Ronald Gavril: Won vacant WBC super middleweight title
- Feb 17, 2018 vs Ronald Gavril: Retained WBC super middleweight title
- Sep 28, 2019 vs Anthony Dirrell: Won WBC super middleweight title
- May 21, 2022 vs David Lemieux: Won vacant WBC interim super middleweight title
- Mar 25, 2023 vs Caleb Plant: Retained WBC interim super middleweight title
- Nov 25, 2023 vs Demetrius Andrade: Retained WBC interim super middleweight title
- Jun 15, 2024 vs Oleksandr Gvozdyk: Won vacant WBC interim light heavyweight title
- Feb 1, 2025 vs David Morrell: Retained WBC interim light heavyweight title; Won WBA (Regular) light heavyweight title
- Nov 22, 2025 vs Anthony Yarde: Retained WBA (Regular) and WBC light heavyweight titles
- May 2, 2026 vs Gilberto Ramírez: Won WBA (Super) and WBO cruiserweight titles
Photo: MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAME via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Featured image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/David_Benavidez_2024.png
Record source: Wikipedia professional boxing record table (cross-checked against the bout list), retrieved 2026-10-26.
