Benavidez Blasts Out Yarde, Retains His WBA World Title – World Boxing Association

On November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, American-Mexican powerhouse David “The Mexican Monster” Benavidez (31-0, 25 KO) added another devastating chapter to his unbeaten run, stopping Britain’s Anthony “The Beast from the East” Yarde (27-4, 24 KO) by seventh-round TKO to retain the WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship (175 lbs). The bout, part of the “Ring IV: Night of Champions” event, reaffirmed Benavidez’s standing as one of the sport’s most imposing forces and set the stage for a slate of major showdowns ahead.

The fight opened at a blistering pace. Benavidez wasted no time applying trademark pressure, walking Yarde down behind volume, accuracy, and physicality. Yarde, aware of the danger in front of him, looked for counters and explosive bursts, especially in rounds two and three, where he landed clean shots that briefly backed up the champion. But Benavidez’s iron chin and relentless tempo allowed him to reassert command.

As the rounds wore on, the gap in consistency and conditioning became glaring. Benavidez ripped combinations upstairs and to the body, steadily wearing Yarde down. By the fifth, the Brit began showing signs of fatigue, circling more, holding distance, and searching for a momentum-shifting power shot. But Benavidez’s suffocating pressure left him fewer and fewer exits.

The end came in the seventh. Benavidez unleashed a punishing sequence — a left hook to the body followed by a right hand that visibly rocked Yarde. Smelling blood, the champion poured on over a dozen unanswered punches, capping the barrage with a clean left to the chin. With Yarde no longer defending himself effectively, the referee had no choice but to step in. The TKO win ignited the arena and pushed Benavidez’s record to 31-0 with 25 knockouts.

With the victory, Benavidez once again defended his WBA light heavyweight crown, placing himself squarely in line for the division’s biggest names and biggest nights.

For Yarde, the loss marks a tough setback in his third world-title attempt. He showed heart, firepower, and competitiveness early, but once again came up short against elite opposition. Still, his effort underscores why he remains one of the most dangerous contenders in the weight class.

Benavidez’s triumph further cements the light heavyweight division as one of boxing’s most electric, stacked, and unpredictable divisions today.

With his pressure-heavy style, imposing physical strength, and unshakeable confidence, David Benavidez continues to prove why the moniker “Mexican Monster” fits him perfectly. His victory over Anthony Yarde not only preserves his WBA crown but thrusts him even deeper into the conversation among the world’s most feared fighters.