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LAS VEGAS – David Benavidez entered Saturday’s main event against Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez with as much responsibility as he’s ever walked into the ring with, headlining the marquee for boxing’s de facto Super Bowl weekend during Cinco De Mayo in the city that is historically known as the Mecca of the sport.
To say Benavidez delivered would be an understatement. The “Mexican Monster” put together one of his finest performances to date, finishing Zurdo with a series of thunderous blows to the eye region that dropped the defending champion to one knee and rendered him unable to continue.
The victory makes Benavidez the first boxer in history to win the 168, 175 and 200 pound titles and he achieved the feat seven months ahead of his 30th birthday. The most impressive aspect of his performance was the fact that he didn't sacrifice any of his trademark speed after the move up to 200 in addition to having sufficient power to get the better of Zurdo when they exchanged.
“Every time I get in this ring and I show myself what type of fighter I am, it speaks a lot of volume about me and my character,” Benavidez said. “I'm ready to fight whoever. I think you guys know that 100% already. Wherever it is, 200, 175, wherever. I'm just here to test myself at the end of the day and test my greatness.
“I'm just getting a lot of confidence in myself. Back then, I thought it was a dream that I could become a great and now I know for sure that this is my destiny. I'm just very, very happy that I'm able to have this type of performance in Cinco de Mayo in the United States.”
The fourth round in particular will become a staple of Benavidez’s career highlight reel, as he effortlessly battered Zurdo and left him with what appeared to be a broken nose before finishing the round with his first knockdown. Zurdo was saved by the bell and bought himself some extra time with a solid fifth round, but the damage he sustained in the fourth was ultimately what did him in at the end.
The co-main event saw challenger Jamie Munguia register a lights out performance to take the WBO Super Middleweight Title from Gilberto "Toro Resendiz by unanimous decision, thoroughly beating his countryman on the cards 120-108, 119-109, 117-111 after a year-long absence from the sport due to an inconclusive drug test following his May 2025 win over Bruno Sarace. The night was certainly a statement for Munguia, who controlled the entire fight and would have probably left with a late knockout if he had a little bit more power left in his tank during the 11th and 12th rounds.
"Everything went exactly as we had it contemplated before the fight," Munguia said. "I wanted to KO him, but everything was outstanding. I had Resendiz against the ropes. I was on the verge of knocking him down in that last round. We tried our best to knock him out, but it wasn’t meant to be and the win was ours."
Munguia was supported at the fight by teammate and one-time opponent Canelo Alvarez, who was outfitted in the victor’s merchandise. Like Benavidez, Resendiz entered Saturday’s fight with his sights set on a potential bout against Canelo if he were to beat Munguia, but the defending champion’s performance left little to be desired and justified the relatively long odds he entered the fight with.
Oscar Duarte defeated Angel Fierro in a controversial split decision (116-112, 115-113, 112-116), capitalizing on a fourth round knockdown that allowed him to withstand a furious charge from Fierro in the sixth and seventh that at the time appeared to be just what Fierro needed to recover from his earlier trip to the canvas. However, Duarte regained enough control in the championship rounds to leave the arena victorious despite seemingly unanimous disapproval from the crowd.
“I wanted this fight and I made weight, he lost and he didn't make weight,” Duarte said following the fight. "He came in heavier, and I was the one pressing, putting pressure. I thought I won this fight. This was a good fight. Fierro is a great fighter. I respect him, but I won this fight.
“I went forward, pressed the action, and landed the best shots in a competitive fight. I always had the confidence that I was going to win. The fans enjoyed the fight, and that motivates me even more to give them another war next time.”
In a battle between a pair of unbeaten Mexican-American fighters under the age of 30, 26-year-old Jose “Tito” Sanchez of Cathedral City, CA bombarded 27-year-old Jorge Chavez of San Diego in the 10th round, finishing the highly competitive fight with under a minute left after two knockdowns in short order proved decisive. Sanchez’ 10th round finish was preceded by a ninth round for the ages between the Chicano fighters, highlighting a back-and-forth slugfest that certainly lived up to the spirit of a Cinco De Mayo bout.