The unbeaten WBC light heavyweight champ stepped on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s scale at 196.8 pounds, three-plus under the cruiserweight cap of 200 pounds, for his division debut against Gilberto Ramirez on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Ramirez, who weighed exactly 200, will defend his WBA and WBO belts against Benavidez in the main event of a pay-per-view show Amazon’s Prime Video and DAZN will distribute in the United States.

Phoenix’s Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs), also a former WBC super middleweight champ, will compete above the light heavyweight limit of 175 pounds for the first time. Mexico’s Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) is 4-0 in cruiserweight fights since October 2023.

DraftKings lists Benavidez, 29, as almost a 4-1 favorite to become champion in a third weight class. He is ranked No. 7 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list and is our No. 1 contender for Dmitry Bivol’s Ring light heavyweight title.

The weights for the pay-per-view and Prime Video portions of the Benavidez-Ramirez undercard are listed below.

Jamie Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs), Tijuana, Mexico, 167.4 pounds

Armando Resendiz (16-2, 11 KOs), Guayabitos, Mexico, 167 pounds

Angel Fierro (23-4-2, 18 KOs), Tijuana, Mexico, 143.4 pounds

Oscar Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KOs), Parral, Mexico, 139.8 pounds

[NOTE: Fierro was 3.4 pounds over the contracted weight limit. He paid $40,000 out of his purse to Duarte.]

Jose Sanchez (15-0, 9 KOs), Cathedral City, California, 121.2 pounds

Jorge Chavez (15-0-1, 8 KOs), San Diego, 122 pounds

Ismael Flores (17-1-1, 12 KOs), Campo Grande, Argentina, 155.2 pounds

Isaac Lucero (18-0, 14 KOs), La Paz, Mexico, 155.6 pounds

Raul Salomon (16-3-1, 14 KOs), Ciudad Morelos, Mexico, 167.4 pounds

Daniel Blancas (14-0, 7 KOs), Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 166.8 pounds

James Pierce (2-0, 2 KOs), Avondale, Arizona, 134.8 pounds

Dylan Capetillo (1-0, 1 KO), Las Vegas, 136.2 pounds

Marlon Delgado (8-0, 6 KOs), Ibarra, Ecuador, 177.6 pounds

Juan Carrillo (14-0, 10 KOs), Barranquilla, Colombia, 177.4 pounds