Gilberto Ramirez Explains How He Plans to Beat David Benavidez

The unified cruiserweight champion is confident ahead of his May 2 showdown with "the monster."

WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez will fight pound-for-pound star David Benavidez at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

When Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defends his WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles against David Benavidez on May 2, the fight is expected to be one of the fights of the year.

Both Ramirez and Benavidez are high-volume punchers who present unique challenges. The current Ring Magazine rankings have Ramirez as the number one-ranked fighter at cruiserweight, while Benavidez is ranked number one at light heavyweight and making his debut at the 200-pound limit.

With just eight days to go before the two fighters step into the ring at T-Mobile Arena, Ramirez spoke to FightHype about his thoughts ahead of the fight, revealing how he will beat Benavidez.

Zurdo Ramirez | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“I don’t know if this fight is going the distance,” Ramirez said. “But I’ll try to hurt him and try to win this fight. Whatever it takes.”

“I’ve seen all of his fights because I like boxing and I watch big fights,” Ramirez continued. “He did a pretty good job; he’s been doing well … the day that we trained together, we knew that this time would come. Those sparring sessions were pay-per-view. Now is the right time and the right moment to put everything that we did and show the people real boxing.”

Gilberto Ramirez will have to overcome the odds against David Benavidez

David Benavidez | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Gilberto Ramirez has been the unified cruiserweight champion since defeating Chris Billiam-Smith by unanimous decision in 2024, yet he’s coming into this fight against David Benavidez as an underdog.

Benavidez is ranked at seven on the Ring Magazine pound-for-pound rankings, and the odds reflect his position. He’s a -430 favorite, while Ramirez is +300. Ramirez hasn’t entered a fight as an underdog since his decision loss to pound-for-pound star Dmitry Bivol in 2022.

“I’ll have to make plan A, plan B, and plan C in training and in sparring,” Ramirez said. “I’ll need to match the different energy, with boxing or with going forward. It’s part of my job to be in the office another day.”

Benavidez’s pressure will be the biggest obstacle for Ramirez to overcome. Benavidez is an offense-first, come-forward fighter. In his last fight against Anthony Yarde, Benavidez stopped the British fighter with a barrage of violent left hooks.

“You have to have skill, you have to have that mentality and that heart,” Ramirez said. “You also need the balls to do it. To match everything and be better, to be really smart in the ring.

While “Zurdo” might not be favored against Benavidez, he has the confidence and experience in his mind to get the job done.