This was the last way David Benavidez wanted to win a world title.

The 28-year-old enjoys the thrill of forcefully taking something from someone. So, the now two-division champion was the happiest man in the room when Dmitry Bivol was recently mandated to fight him. Ultimately, he heard a knock at his door. When he answered, he looked down and noticed the WBC title.

Bivol, due to his obligations for a third fight with Artur Beterbiev, dropped his belt, immediately resulting in Benavidez getting elevated.

It wasn’t what he wanted but the Phoenix native will take what he can get. Now, his team will work on his options. But, according to Eddie Hearn, there aren’t many.

“That light heavyweight division is actually quite thin at the top in terms of big names,” said Hearn during an interview with Boxing News.

Bivol and Beterbiev are all tied up at the moment but Hearn is confident in a certain 175-pounder on his stable. So much so, in fact, that he would be willing to throw him in with Benavidez next.

Callum Smith has always been amongst the top super middleweights but at 175 pounds, there were questions.

A lopsided loss to Beterbiev ostensibly proved that Smith couldn’t hang with the best of them. However, after recently knocking off Joshua Buatsi, that didn’t appear to be the case.

The facetious jokes surrounding his future are dead and gone. Now, he’s hoping that the interim WBO strap he holds will lead to a title shot.

Bivol and Beterbiev are a quick path to the top but since Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) now holds a full title, Hearn has been quietly trying to hammer out a deal.

Currently, the two sides are in the getting to know each other stage. If they can skip past the hello’s and how are you’s and put together a contract that makes sense, then Hearn believes a showdown is inevitable.

“We’re discussing that fight ,” continued Hearn. “No firm offers made but tell me another fight that Benavidez can make. I think David Benavidez against Callum Smith is a helluva fight.”