David Benavidez Reveals How Much Canelo Could Have Earned for Their Fight

Interim WBC light heavyweight (79.4 kg) champion David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) shared insights about a potential fight against WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight (76.2 kg) champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs).

According to Benavidez, his team received an offer from Canelo’s representatives, which they accepted. However, negotiations never moved forward.

– When did you first consider Canelo as an opponent?

– I think it was after his second fight with Golovkin. He was at middleweight, I was at super middleweight, and I knew he would move up sooner or later. But I always felt I was a problem for him because he never mentioned me as a potential opponent. Caleb Plant, Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders... but never me.

Maybe it’s a pride thing because we’re both Mexican, or maybe he sees me as a serious threat. I knew the fans would eventually demand this fight, and it's great that it's gained so much attention. Honestly, I might even benefit from him stepping aside. He was offered $70 million for the fight with me—and that’s not even counting PPV revenue.

– Is that an actual figure?

– Yes. You can ask Luis DeCubas and Al Haymon. Canelo always offers opponents a flat fee. They offered me $5 million, and I said, 'Cool.'

– Did they really offer you five?

– Yes. Sampson Lewkowicz (Benavidez's promoter) asked me before the Jaime Munguia fight: 'Would you take a flat fee—$5 million, no PPV, no extra bonuses?' I said yes.

We agreed, but after that, we never heard from them again. They just threw out the bait, testing whether I would accept. Maybe they expected me to refuse, like, ‘$5 million? No way.’ But this fight is worth way more. I saw through the bluff, and we never discussed the fight again. But it’s inevitable.

Earlier, Canelo explained why he rejected Benavidez’s challenge.