Benavidez Shuts Door on Canelo Superfight: "That Fight Is Never Going to Happen"

David Benavidez says the long-discussed super-fight with Canelo Alvarez will never happen, telling a podcast he no longer wants to chase an opponent who doesn't want the fight — as he focuses on his December 5 cruiserweight unification with Michal Cieslak.

Benavidez Shuts Door on Canelo Superfight: "That Fight Is Never Going to Happen"

David Benavidez has finally closed the book on the fight boxing fans have demanded for years. Speaking on "The Last Stand Podcast," the two-division champion said a showdown with Canelo Alvarez "is never going to happen."

"I can say with confidence that fight is never going to happen," Benavidez told host Brian Custer. "I don't want to keep calling someone out who doesn't want to fight. Canelo, at the end of the day, he's a great fighter. He's a legend."

Benavidez chased the Canelo fight throughout his super-middleweight reign, but it never materialized. Now the 28-year-old has moved on — literally. He holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles and faces WBC champion Michal Cieslak on December 5 in a three-belt unification bout, with a victory moving him within touching distance of undisputed status at 200 pounds.

The comments draw a line under one of modern boxing's longest-running what-ifs, while Benavidez's focus sharpens on a division he may soon rule outright.