David Benavidez is supremely confident ahead of his showdown against Gilberto Ramirez, with whom he estimates to have shared over 300 rounds of sparring.
The pair were first introduced as super-middleweights, where they both became world champions, but are now gearing up to collide at 200lbs.
This represents Benavidez’s first cruiserweight outing, while Ramirez has unified the WBA and WBO world titles after dethroning Arsen Goulamirian and Chris Billam-Smith, respectively.
Because of this, some might give ‘Zurdo’ a slight edge – given his familiarity with the weight – while others will favour the superior speed of Benavidez.
The 29-year-old is, quite possibly, the quickest fighter campaigning above 168lbs, known for unleashing flashy combinations to punch his way out of sticky situations.
Against Ramirez, a slower but no less methodical operator, this speed advantage could prove significant at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, this Saturday.
Additionally, Benavidez feels that his apparent success against southpaws, including David Morrell and Demetrius Andrade, offers sufficient evidence for a convincing triumph over his former sparring partner.
Speaking to bet365, the American said: “What is evident to me is that I don’t have any problems with lefties.
“Andrade is a high-IQ fighter but, against me, he landed the least amount of shots he’s ever landed on anybody.
“David Morrell was also a fast lefty, so I’m not really going to have any problems with ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, who’s a slower fighter.
“I’m not betting that he’s going to be extremely slow on the night, but I do know he’s a slow fighter.
“I sparred him when he was at his fastest – when he was at his best – so I’m training for him to be as fast as he was back then. But I don’t think that’s what’s going to happen.
“I’m working extremely hard, because I know he’s a good competitor, but I also know that I can hurt him.”
Against Andrade, who he fought at super-middleweight in 2023, Benavidez was able to find repeated success with the right hand.
No fighter had previously solved this southpaw puzzle, yet Benavidez managed to score a sixth-round finish by repeatedly looping his back hand around the side of Andrade’s guard.
During his light-heavyweight encounter with Morrell, however, it was less about the right hand and more a case of smothering his opponent with relentless combinations.
This strategy saw Benavidez claim a unanimous decision victory in March 2025, proving his ability to make adjustments against southpaw opposition.
Against an intelligent technician like Ramirez, who boasts a wealth of experience, Benavidez may struggle to land the right hand as often as he did against Andrade.
This is because champions of Ramirez’s quality are also capable of making adjustments, even if it means defending themselves against a razor-sharp right hand.
In response, though, Benavidez should manage to hammer home his speed advantage with snappy combinations, preventing ‘Zurdo’ from establishing the type of rhythm he used to outpoint Billam-Smith in 2024.
Given their 300-plus rounds of sparring, too, Benavidez is likely to have gleaned enough information to capitalise on his opponent’s tell-tale signs, sensing when he is feeling the effects of a hard-fought contest.
With this information, Benavidez can control the pace of their encounter and potentially score a dramatic finish, or just simply navigate the 12 rounds in a fashion that suits his style and attributes.
