David Benavidez has had his fair share of big fights, but he simply can’t get the ones he truly wants.

When he campaigned at 168 pounds, he dreamed of getting punched in the face and returning the favor against Canelo Alvarez. But, no matter how many bodies he laid out on the canvas, he was never given the call.

Benavidez's patience, understandably, grew thin, so he moved up in weight. Two wins later, along with a WBC title, he’s back in a familiar position. He's the verge of challenging the division’s champion, Dmitry Bivol.

Bivol, the unified beltholder, is tied up with a trilogy meeting against Artur Beterbiev. Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) will watch their soon-to-be-announced fight from a distance, but he isn’t interested in facing the winner relatively cold. He wants to stay active.

Elite opponents are his preference, so it comes as no surprise that he’s attempting to drag one of two top names in the ring with him next.

“Right now we’re thinking about Callum Smith or Anthony Yarde,” Benavidez said on the State Of Boxing. “Obviously, those are two top guys in that division.”

Ironically enough, rumors have surfaced about Smith and Yarde fighting each other. Benavidez, though, remains in the mix.

For Smith, his career was left for dead following his loss to Beterbiev in 2024. When he faced off against Joshua Buatsi earlier this year, he was expected to go out gracefully. He won a close but clear unanimous decision.

Yarde is also coming off a solid win. He finally closed the chapter on his rivalry with Lyndon Arthur.

Benavidez has never been picky. For the deleterious 28-year-old, it doesn’t quite matter which of those two steps up to fight. As long as he grabs a win, he’ll be exactly where he wants to be.

“That’s gonna put me one step closer to fighting these guys.”