TL;DR
- David Benavidez defends his WBC light heavyweight title against Anthony Yarde on November 22 in Saudi Arabia.
- The undercard features Brian Norman Jr. defending his WBO welterweight title against Devin Haney.
- Jesse Rodriguez and Fernando Martinez will unify WBA, WBC, and Ring super flyweight titles.
- Abdullah Mason and Sam Noakes compete for the WBO lightweight title on the packed card.
The Ring's newest event in Saudi Arabia on November 22 features a packed card. In the main event, David Benavidez will put his WBC light heavyweight title on the line against Anthony Yarde.
Benavidez, with a record of 30 wins and no losses, holds two WBC super middleweight titles. The 28-year-old transitioned to light heavyweight, defeating Oleksandr Gvozdyk to secure the interim WBC belt, and subsequently earned the full championship.
Will Benavidez's power translate to a new weight class? Can he secure a spectacular knockout and position himself for lucrative future bouts at 175 pounds?
“What I’ve done in this camp is gone back to the basics, using footwork, using distance, using head movement. We’re not going to set up traps. These are bigger guys,” Benavidez said. “So, me walking them down is not going to work like I did at 168 lbs.
“But for me, I know for a fact I can hurt these guys. Now I need to follow the game plan and work behind the jab, but I see opportunities to hurt Anthony Yarde, and I just have to stick to the plan.”
Yarde (27-3) has competed for light heavyweight championship honors on two occasions. His latest opportunity for a title ended in defeat against Artur Beterbiev in 2023. He has secured victory in four consecutive bouts since then.
Despite falling short before, the Hackney-born Yarde believes it’s his time to shine.
“Mentally, I’ve already won,” Yarde said. “Coming from where I was and getting to this stage for the third time and to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I feel like I’ve already won. There’s no pressure on me. I’m an excellent fighter, and with a bit more experience, I can be the best in the division. I’m excited.”
The David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde undercard features multiple championship bouts, with emerging talents poised to make a significant impact.
David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde undercard
Here's a breakdown of all the action on the Benavidez vs. Yarde card.
Brian Norman Jr. Vs. Devin Haney
- Division/Weight: Welterweight
- Rivera record: 28-0
- Roldan record: 32-0
- Belts at stake: WBO welterweight title
The co-feature will see Brian Norman Jr. Defend the WBO welterweight title against Devin Haney.
Norman (28-0) has now achieved more victories than his father, Brian Norman Sr. (18-11). "The Assassin II" secured interim gold in the previous year and was subsequently promoted to full-time champion when Terence Crawford relinquished the title. He defeated top challenger Jin Sasaki in June.
Haney, with a 32-0 record, defeated George Kambosos Jr. To achieve undisputed status in the lightweight division. He then advanced in weight and secured the super lightweight championship by Defeating Regis Prograis. The 26-year-old's progress was interrupted by a loss to Ryan Garcia, which was later ruled a no-contest. A year after that setback, he made a comeback by Defeating Jose Carlos Ramirez.
Jesse Rodriguez vs. Fernando Martinez
- Division/Weight: Super Flyweight
- Rodriguez record: 22-0
- Martinez record: 18-0
- Belts at stake: WBA, WBC, and Ring super flyweight titles
Also on the card, Jesse Rodriguez and Fernando Martinez compete in a super flyweight unification fight.
Rodriguez (22-0) originally possessed the 115-pound championship but then shifted his attention to the flyweight class. "Bam" secured additional gold and came back to the super flyweight division, defeating Juan Francisco Estrada and Phumelela Cafu to capture the WBC, WBO, and Ring belts.
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Martinez, a bronze medalist at the South American Games and an Olympian with an 18-0 record, formerly possessed the IBF super flyweight championship. He defeated Kazuto Ioka to secure the WBA title and successfully retained it in a subsequent bout in May.
Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Mason record: 19-0
- Noakes record: 17-0
- Belts at stake: WBO lightweight title
Abdullah Mason and Sam Noakes compete for the WBO lightweight title.
Having won the USA Junior Open multiple times and reaching the finals of the 2020 Youth National Championships, 19-0 Mason aims for a perfect 4-0 record in 2025, alongside securing a gold medal at age 21.
In 2022, Noakes (17-0) secured the Commonwealth title, followed by British and European gold in 2024. The 28-year-old, who resides in Kent, boasts 15 victories by knockout.
Vito Mielnicki Jr. Vs. Samuel Nmomah
- Division/Weight: Middleweight
- Mielnicki record: 21-1
- Nmomah record: 21-0
- Belts at stake: N/A
Vito Mielnicki Jr. Faces Samuel Nmomah.
A four-time Junior National Golden Gloves champion, Mielnicki (21-1) beat Kamil Gardzielik in his first headlining fight. The 23-year-old has 12 wins via knockout.
Nmomah (21-0) has competed in just three bouts since 2023. This marks the Nigerian's first professional fight outside of Italy.
Mohammed Alakel vs. Jiaming Li
- Division/Weight: Super Featherweight
- Alakel record: 6-0
- Li record: 7-5
- Belts at stake: N/A
Further down the card, it will be Mohammed Alakel vs. Jiaming Li.
Alakel (6-0) is rapidly establishing himself as a significant presence in boxing. The Saudi Arabian fighter was prominently featured on the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford event, securing his fourth victory of 2025.
Li (7-5) is 2-1 in his last three fights. The Chinese fighter has four wins via knockout.
Julio Porras Ruiz vs. Pius Mpenda
- Division/Weight: Super Middleweight
- Porras record: 13-0
- Mpenda record: 11-4-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Julio Porras Ruiz faces Pius Mpenda.
Porras (13-0) competes outside Mexico for the first time. "Diamante" has nine wins via knockout.
Mpenda, holding a record of 11-4-1, has a 1-1-1 standing in his most recent three bouts. The Tanzanian fighter aims to secure consecutive victories for the first time since 2023.
Sultan Almohammed vs. Umesh Chavan
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Almohammed record: 1-0
- Chavan record: 3-1-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Finally, Sultan Almohammed faces Umesh Chavan.
Almohammed, a champion in six domestic tournaments, made a successful debut by defeating bare-knuckle fighter Martin Caraballo with a 1-0 record.
Chavan (3-1-1) has won two straight, winning in February after last competing in 2023.
Information on tuning in for The David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde fight
- Date: Saturday, November 22
- Start time: 3 p.m. ET | 12 p.m. PT | 8 p.m. GMT | 7 a.m. AEDT
- Main event start time (approx.): 8 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. PT | 1 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT
- Location: ANB Arena - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Live Stream: DAZN
- PPV Price: $59.99 | £24.99 | $49.99 (AU)
David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde will be available on DAZN worldwide.
In the U.S., a DAZN monthly plan costs $19.99 with a 12-month commitment, or $29.99 if paid monthly. The yearly plan is priced at $224.99.
In the U.K., a DAZN monthly subscription costs £9.99 on a 12-month contract or £19.99 month-to-month. An annual subscription will cost £99.99.
In Australia, a DAZN monthly subscription is $14.99. A DAZN annual (upfront) subscription costs $149.99.