KEY POINTS

  • David Benavidez recalls his sparring sessions with former UFC champ Henry Cejudo 
  • Benavidez said he was only a kid and Cejudo was already a grown man at the time
  • The two-time WBC super middleweight champion is looking forward to facing all the biggest names in the division

Two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez has had great memories with a former UFC champion.

While nowadays some professional boxers do spar with pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters and vice versa, Benavidez had done it way before he became a world champion.

In a recent interview with Elie Seckbach of EsNews, the 24-year-old revealed that he used to spar with former UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo.

According to Benavidez, his father used to train Cejudo, who was already a “grown man” at the time when the said sparring sessions happened.

“I used to spar him [Cejudo] when I was 12 years old, we used to be the same size when I was 12,” Benavidez recalled. “My dad used to train him actually. He’s a cool dude man, super hardworker.”

When asked about how he did against the “Triple C,” Benavidez confidently said he did well as “always.”

“I did how I always do, I do good against everybody but he was tough, he would hit me with some great shots,” he revealed. “But obviously he was a grown man [and] I was a little kid.”

“It was great sparring sessions, I pushed him, he pushed me and I just want to congratulate him with all his success, [he’s] two-time world champion, Olympic gold medalist, the sky is the limit for him,” the Arizona native added.

Though Benavidez is confident about his attributes and considering he had already faced an MMA world champion, he is certain he’ll never make a switch.

“I would never do MMA. I’m a big fan of MMA, but I would never do it myself,” he vowed.

Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo visits "Extra" at Universal Studios Hollywood on July 08, 2019 in Universal City, California. Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

In August last year, Benavidez missed weight ahead of his fight against Roamer Alexis Angulo and was stripped of his WBC super middleweight title.

However, coming off a stoppage win over Ronald Ellis Angulo on Saturday, “Red Flag” is looking to bounce back and reclaim his belt.

“I want all the big guys,” Benavidez said after the fight. “Speaking for the fans too, they would love to see me against all the big guys. I love throwing punches.”

Benavidez also bared that he has several top super middleweight fighters on his target list.

“I love stopping people, so me versus any big name would be an amazing fight,” the former champ pointed out. “I want [Jermall] Charlo, Canelo Alvarez, Caleb Plant, all of them. I’m ready to fight in August. I definitely feel like I [can] beat Canelo Alvarez.”

RELATED STORIES