Benavidez vs Yarde: Bloodied Briton stopped in seventh of world-title challenge

British light-heavyweight Anthony Yarde’s third shot at a world title ended in heartbreak again after a systematic beat-down by WBC champion David Benavidez in Saudi Arabia.

After a slow start, American Benavidez seized control, sending 34-year-old Yarde to the canvas with a barrage in the seventh.

With blood streaming from Yarde’s nose and smeared across the canvas, another heavy flurry of punches with a minute left in the round forced the referee to halt the contest.

«I stuck in there. I’m a fighter,» Yarde told BBC Radio 5 Live.

«I felt like it was competitive. I know how he comes with good pressure. I was boxing, boxing, thinking middle rounds, the dog rounds, we would exchange.

«He has quick hands, caught me first and hit me with a good shot on the nose. When I took a knee and he hit me when I was down, I was dizzy after that.»

Benavidez was deducted two points for punches while Yarde was down, but the outcome was already inevitable.

The Londoner – having previously lost in world championship bouts to Sergey Kovalev in 2019 and Artur Beterbiev in 2022 – may now have to accept the possibility that a world title might elude him.

Benavidez, 28, remains unbeaten and extends his record to a formidable 25 knockouts in 31 wins.

After the fight, Benavidez – of Mexican heritage – revealed he plans to move up to cruiserweight to challenge Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez for the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles on 2 May, aiming to become a three-weight world champion.

Legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer welcomed the fighters to the ring at 05:30 local time – minutes before sunrise in Riyadh – with the schedule tailored for a Mexican and American television audience.

Hackney-born Yarde made an understated entrance, pausing to take in the arena and seemingly savour the moment.

Benavidez appeared completely at ease, fist-bumping fans on his way to the ring with his five-year-old son and entourage in tow.

Both men – Benavidez, famed for his relentless punch output, and Yarde, who carried serious power with 24 knockouts in 27 wins – made a watchful start.

Two-time super-middleweight champion Benavidez tried to provoke Yarde in the fourth, only for the Briton to reply with a sharp, short right.

As the round closed, Yarde tied up Benavidez’s right arm over his shoulder, prompting the «Mexican Monster» to unleash a dozen or so rapid lefts to the head.

Marked up under his right eye, Yarde was not quite a sitting duck yet but was not winning rounds either – perhaps guilty of showing the champion too much respect.

Some brief success from the challenger only seemed to spring Benavidez into action in the sixth.

Yarde began rubbing blood from his nose and looked increasingly unnerved.

«You’re a warrior, you’re a lion,» Yarde’s long-term trainer Tunde Ajayi encouraged from the corner.

But Benavidez began landing combinations to the head and body with the speed of a lightweight, switching between southpaw and orthodox at will.

A particularly heavy barrage floored Yarde and the champion was rightly penalised for the late punch.

But another sustained attack, ending with a heavy left hook with, forced the referee to save Yarde from more punishment.

After turning pro a decade ago with no amateur background, Yarde’s career has been defined by a willingness – sometimes to his own detriment – to skip the traditional domestic route, and even the big-money domestic clashes with the likes of Joshua Buatsi, in pursuit of world honours.

He was still relatively raw when he travelled to Russia to face Kovalev, a baptism of fire that became the defining early chapter of his career.

And when he later stepped in with Beterbiev – one of the most feared punchers in world boxing – he performed admirably before ultimately being overwhelmed.

Once again, Yarde has shown that while he may fall short at the very highest level, he does so only against the very best.

Retirement may be mentioned but there are plenty of fights still out there for the light-heavyweight.

A match-up with Buatsi or another domestic-level contender like Callum Smith is still be an attractive option for Yarde and his fans.