Jose Benavidez Sr. has David’s next several years planned out: Michal Cieslak, Jai Opetaia, a return to 175 pounds for Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev, then a move to heavyweight for Andy Ruiz Jr. or Oleksandr Usyk. That is a remarkable list for a fighter who has yet to face the first man on it.
“David feels very comfortable fighting at cruiserweight,” Jose said in an interview with Fight Hub TV. He wants Cieslak, the WBC cruiserweight champion, in December and Opetaia around Cinco de Mayo. From there, Jose talked about going back down to light heavyweight before testing the heavyweight division.
Cieslak deserves more than a passing mention in that itinerary. He is the next dangerous fight Jose wants for his son, and David must beat him before the Opetaia date means anything. A December win would still leave the team with the work of making another major cruiserweight fight for May.
Jose has already started sizing up Opetaia. He thought the Australian “looked a little bit slow” against Noel Mikaelian and believes David has more experience. Opetaia had difficult moments in that fight, but he still stopped Mikaelian in the ninth round. One uneven performance does not make him a convenient stop between Cieslak and Bivol. He has the power to wreck Jose’s schedule in one night.
Even a win over Opetaia would create a difficult choice. Jose says David feels comfortable at cruiserweight. If he beats two champions there, dropping to 175 only makes sense if Bivol or Beterbiev is ready to sign. David would be asking his body to shed 25 pounds for an elite opponent, then prepare to gain weight again for a heavyweight fight. Roy Jones Jr.’s difficult return from heavyweight shows why that move should be treated seriously, although it does not establish what would happen to David.
The names also have their own plans. Jose can talk about Bivol, Beterbiev and Usyk in the same interview; securing those fights across different divisions and promotional arrangements is another matter. Beterbiev and Usyk will be older still if David first spends 2027 chasing Opetaia and a light heavyweight fight.
Jose floated “maybe Andy Ruiz or Usyk” as heavyweight opponents. Ruiz is a fight one can at least imagine making. Usyk requires far more to line up, including Usyk still boxing by the time David gets there.
This is a wish list dressed up as a schedule. David may be capable of winning the first fight. Until he does, Jose’s heavyweight finish belongs a long way from the headline.
