‘That’s Foreign to Me’: Artur Beterbiev Calls Out David Benavidez

Artur Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) is not very happy with David Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) and he is making no effort in hiding it. Be it whether he ‘ducked’ him, or that he chose a different opponent, Benavidez’s actions are foreign to Beterbiev, or so he says.

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In an interview with the Russian outlet, Match TV, Beterbiev left no stone unturned when expressing his displeasure with Benavidez’s team.

“He had a fight with Anthony Yarde, and I agreed to fight him after that,” he said. “His team apparently didn’t expect me to agree so quickly, so they immediately changed their mind and chose Ramirez. That was a year ago.”

Benavidez became the WBC light heavyweight champion after Dmitry Bivol vacated the belt to pursue a trilogy with Beterbiev and Benavidez repeatedly called for the fight. While Beterbiev says that he quickly agreed, Benavidez’s father and trainer, Jose Benavidez Sr., has strongly denied that version of events, saying no serious negotiations took place and that they still want the fight immediately. So, the current tension is essentially a public dispute over who avoided whom, Beterbiev says Benavidez talked big but didn’t follow through, while Team Benavidez says Beterbiev is rewriting history and that they’re ready to sign the fight at any time.

And it certainly looks like this lack of clarity is further frustrating Betebiev.

“Generally, this has become the norm in boxing, sometimes I’ll box, sometimes I won’t, choosing opponents, I like this one, I don’t like that one. I have a different mentality. That’s foreign to me,” he said.

“His Boxing is Dirty”

And he didn’t just stop there. According to Beterbiev, Benavidez is all talk and little to no action. In fact, he even called a few of his performances “questionable”.

“Benavidez is the kind of guy who talks a lot more than he does. But it must be said that he’s being handled very skillfully. He’s already a world champion in two weight classes. But his boxing is dirty, and some of his victories are certainly questionable,” he said.

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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