David Benavidez, with a record of 29 wins and 24 knockouts, achieved a unanimous decision victory over Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Las Vegas despite dealing with a hand injury and a cut on his eye. Benavidez, who won the WBC interim light heavyweight title, shared that he got these injuries during his training but decided to push through and take part in the fight. The judges scored the match in Benavidez’s favor, with scores of 117-110, 119-109, and 116-112, although some viewers thought it was close enough to end as a draw.
Some fans who had placed bets on Benavidez winning by knockout might have been disappointed upon learning about his existing injuries, as he didn’t perform as dominantly as anticipated in the bout. Benavidez admitted that he could have performed better if he had been in better physical shape.
Despite his injuries, Benavidez persevered and shared during the press conference after the fight that he had torn a tendon in his right hand and sustained a cut during sparring. Even though advised by medical professionals to take a break, Benavidez was resolute in continuing his training and competing in the fight. He attributed his faith and determination for enabling him to participate in a significant event for PBC and ultimately emerge as the victor.
