Boxing Results: Benavidez Defeats Gvozdyk, Claims WBC Interim Light Heavyweight Title

David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) won a tougher-than-expected twelve-round unanimous decision over Oleksandr Gvozdyk (20-2, 16 KOs) to win the WBC light heavyweight title Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

The fight was the debut of the 27-year-old Benavidez, who moved up to super middleweight and chased the 175 belt, but it wasn't the effort fans were expecting from him.

Benavidez looked tired after six rounds and went all in from then on, being boxed and outboxed by the 37-year-old Gvozdyk. The scores were 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109.

The scoring was very wide in the fight that appeared to be tied 6-6 at the end, but the judges gave it to the more famous guy, Benavidez.

Gvozdyk, who came out of a four-year retirement last year, didn't look good tonight; his once respected punching power and mobility gone, the only thing left was his excellent punching resistance.

Benavidez will need to make a big decision about whether to stay at light heavyweight because, based on this performance, he has no chance of beating champions Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol. Of course, the way the judges scored the fight tonight, Benavidez had a good chance of beating both champions.