Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – One of boxing’s marquee events unfolded Saturday night as Ring IV: Night of Champions aired live on DAZN pay-per-view, headlined by a light heavyweight title clash between WBC champion David Benavidez and British contender Anthony Yarde.
After a measured opening, Benavidez gradually imposed his will, using his trademark hand speed and sustained pressure to batter Yarde and leave his face badly marked. The champion scored a knockdown before finishing the fight at 1:59 of the seventh round, securing a stoppage victory and retaining both the WBC title and the interim WBA belt.
With Yarde bleeding heavily and trapped along the ropes, a final barrage late in the round prompted the referee to intervene and bring the contest to a close. Although Benavidez was penalized two points earlier for striking while Yarde was down, the momentum of the bout had already swung decisively in his favor.
Yarde later reflected on the fight by acknowledging Benavidez’s relentless pressure and speed, noting that an early shot to the nose altered the course of the contest and left him disoriented.
For Yarde, the loss marked another setback in his pursuit of a world championship, following previous title defeats to Sergey Kovalev and Artur Beterbiev. Benavidez, meanwhile, remained undefeated, improving his record to 31-0 with 25 knockouts.
Following the victory, the 28-year-old champion announced plans to move up to cruiserweight, where he intends to challenge fellow Mexican Gilberto Ramirez for the WBA and WBO titles on May 2 in a bid to capture championships in a third weight division.
Main Card Results:
- David Benavidez def. Anthony Yarde (TKO, Round 7) – Benavidez retained WBC Light Heavyweight Title.
- Devin Haney def. Brian Norman Jr. (Unanimous Decision) – Haney retained WBO Welterweight Title.
- Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez def. Fernando Martinez (KO, Round 10) – Rodriguez unified WBA, WBC, & WBO Super Flyweight Titles.
- Abdullah Mason def. Sam Noakes (Unanimous Decision) – Mason retained WBO Lightweight Title.
- Vito Mielnicki Jr. def. Samuel Nmomah (TKO, Round 9).
- Mohammed Alakel def. Jiaming Li (Unanimous Decision).
- Julio Porras Ruiz & Pius Mpenda fought to a Unanimous Draw.
- Sultan Almohammed def. Umesh Chavan (TKO, Round 1).
- Juan Carlos Guerito def. Barker Ssewanyana (Unanimous Decision).
