Benavidez nearing free agency as Zuffa interest grows

Zuffa could face a difficult decision over signing David Benavidez

David Benavidez might be just one fight away from becoming one of the highest-paid free agents in boxing. Zuffa is considered the logical suitor if the company is interested in signing another big name.

Chris Mannix has reported that David Benavidez has one fight remaining on his current contract. That fight is probably going to take place in December and could potentially be for a title. Once that contract is up, Mannix expects several companies to vie for his services. He said:

“Benavidez, as I understand it, has one more fight left with PBC and with Samson Lewkowicz. That fight’s probably going to happen in December. There will be a bidding war for the services of David Benavidez. And the winner of that bidding war, if it’s Zuffa, they’ll set up a Jai fight. If it’s somebody else, maybe it’s Bivol, maybe it’s a heavyweight. It’s probably a different direction”

David Benavidez has significantly strengthened his negotiating position in recent months with a string of victories. As a result, his future is no longer tied to constantly challenging Saul Alvarez, since he now has several other options. After all, chasing Saul Alvarez was a major part of his career.

Another point in Zuffa’s favor, of course, is the potential for David Benavidez. He has recently expressed interest in a bout with Jai Opetaia, which naturally gives Zuffa the opportunity to secure the contract with a fight right away.

The risk for Zuffa, however, lies in signing a star for a lot of money who has so far struggled to truly establish himself as a star. It could be difficult to find good opponents who would ultimately justify David Benavidez’s price tag. What do you think, would Zuffa be a good option?

I think it should actually be relatively clear to David Benavidez that he should go to Zuffa. From the other perspective, I’d just be curious to know. I believe Zuffa would also have doubts about signing him; the question is just which side would prevail.