After Cieslak, Benavidez Becomes His Own Boss. He Says He's Still 'PBC All the Way'

David Benavidez spent a decade as a fighter with a manager. After Dec. 5, he plans to be a fighter with a company.

Benavidez, the unbeaten WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion (32-0, 26 KOs), faces WBC champion Michal Cieslak on Dec. 5 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on a PBC pay-per-view on DAZN through Prime Video. He says it's the last fight on his contract.

"This is the last fight on my contract," Benavidez said on the Last Stand Podcast, per The Ring. "It's my time to do my own thing, like [Floyd] Mayweather and everyone with their own promotional company. It will be DB Promotions."

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He isn't walking away from his team. He named Al Haymon, Luis De Cubas, TGB Promotions and Sampson Lewkowicz, and told The Ring, "I'm still PBC all the way." The Ring reports he wants PBC and Haymon as co-promoters.

Benavidez told the same podcast he'll sign a three-fight contract after Cieslak, per BoxingScene: "We're talking about [Jai] Opetaia, we're talking about [Artur] Beterbiev, and then we are maybe talking about [Oleksandr] Usyk."

Oscar De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy co-promotes Ortiz-Thurman on the card, told BoxingScene: "David Benavidez is a loyal fighter ... he's not leaving PBC." He added that Benavidez "does not want to fight for the Zuffa unicorn belt."

The Zuffa angle is speculation for now. BoxingScene reported rumors that Zuffa Boxing, which promotes Opetaia, could chase Benavidez, but no offer has been announced.

The Kimster's read

Owning your own promotion is the boss move, but the hit list is the real headline. Opetaia is the fight that matters at 200 pounds, and Benavidez seems to know that keeping PBC close while holding his own pen is how he gets it. None of it means anything if Cieslak, a big puncher riding seven straight stoppages, spoils the homecoming.

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More: our LA press conference story, the Ortiz-Thurman co-main, and Sam's take on De La Hoya.

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