David Benavidez’s granite chin has helped him become a two-weight world champion and one of the most exciting, exceptional boxers in the sport.

The unbeaten WBC light heavyweight champ still respects Anthony Yarde’s power and understands he can’t be reckless against him Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Benavidez can’t help but laugh, however, when he hears and reads how he supposedly showed vulnerability when David Morrell dropped him in his last fight February 1 in Las Vegas.

Referee Thomas Taylor counted a knockdown for Morrell in the 11th round. The replay clearly proved, though, that Benavidez tripped over Morrell’s right leg as he blocked the Cuban southpaw’s right hook with his left arm. That led to Benavidez using both gloves to keep himself from falling.

“I didn’t get knocked down,” Benavidez told The Ring. “I think anybody that has brain cells could see that was a trip. It wasn’t a knockdown at all. People just wanna make a case, especially Yarde’s team. They wanna make it seem like there’s a weakness there. 'We can capitalize on that.' If you go back and look at the replay you could obviously see that he tripped me, and he hit my arm.”

The point deduction didn’t impact the outcome of a 12-round bout Benavidez won by at least four points apiece on the cards of judges Tim Cheatham (118-108), Patricia Morse Jarman (115-111) and Steve Weisfeld (115-111). Taylor took a point from Morrell for hitting Benavidez after the bell sounded to end the 11th.

Benavidez didn’t complain much about the knockdown after he defeated Morrell because he was satisfied with his impressive performance. The “knockdown” only began agitating the former WBC super middleweight champion when people, including Yarde and his trainer, Tundi Ajayi, matter-of-factly mentioned it.

“I know in my head it’s not a big deal, so I’m not gonna be there trying to convince people that it wasn’t a knockdown,” Benavidez said of his immediate reaction. “I had already won. It was a great performance. It was a great lead-up to the fight. Everything was great, so I wasn’t gonna really think about that too much because I was already extremely happy from the performance, the buildup and everything from that fight.”

Despite the obvious trip, it was the first time Benavidez suffered an official knockdown since Ronald Gavril’s left hand dropped him during the 12th round in September 2017. Benavidez, who won by split decision, was just 20 years old at that time, won a vacant version of the WBC super middleweight title.

Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) is a 9-1 favorite to defeat Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs), according to DraftKings, in the 12-round main event of “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” card at ANB Arena. Benavidez-Yarde will headline a four-fight DAZN Pay-Per-View show in the United States ($59.99) and the UK (£24.99).

Benavidez, 28, is The Ring’s No. 2 light heavyweight contender for champ Dmitry Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs). The Phoenix native is also ranked ninth on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list.

Yarde, a 34-year-old London native, is The Ring’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight.