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David Benavidez stopped David Lemieux in the third round of their fight this weekend. The Canadian was outmatched and outpunched from the opening moments of the fight.
Benavidez rocked Lemieux in the first round and landed over a dozen unanswered punches. He was saved by the bell. In the second, he was sent beneath the ropes and onto the ring apron. In the third, Lemieux's corner stopped the fight.
After the fight, Benavidez said that he is the strongest fighter in the division. According to ESPN, he said:
"I just feel I'm the strongest 168-pounder. Nobody can mess with me."
DAZN News also reported that the Mexican-American fighter called out Canelo Alvarez after the bout. Benavidez is situating himself as the mandatory challenger for the WBC Super Middleweight Title, currently held by Alvarez, the reigning Undisputed Champion in the division.
A clash between Benavidez and Alvarez would likely be one of the biggest events in contemporary boxing if it were to occur.
What is David Benavidez's next fight?
Following this weekend's extremely dominant performance over Lemieux, who is a strong contender in the division, Benavidez announced that he will pursue a fight with either Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo, or David Morrell.
David Morrell, a Cuban boxer, holds the WBA (Regular) Super Middleweight Title. The WBA 'regular' title is a lesser-title than the 'super' title, though both are recognized as world titles by the organization. Morrell currently has a record of 6-0 and won his world title in just his third professional fight.
Jermall Charlo is another likely contender for Benavidez. Charlo is the current WBC Middleweight Champion. He has a record of 32-0 and is scheduled to fight Maciej Sulęcki this June. To take a fight with Benavidez, he would have to move up to super middleweight.
Caleb Plant most recently fought Canelo Alvarez. As a result, he may be the most likely opponent for David Benavidez, if Benavidez is pursuing a fight with the undisputed champ. Plant lost the bout, and his IBF title, in November 2021. Prior to his fight with Canelo, he had a record of 21-0.
