Benavidez vs. Cieslak Cruiserweight Unification Bout Signed for December 2026 in Arizona
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
New York, NY (October 25th, 2026)– In recent months, talk about possible big-money mega bouts has not come to fruition. David Benavidez versus Canelo Alvarez, and David Benavidez versus Dmitriy Bivol were just talk. Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao II, Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Conor McGregor II, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Ryan Garcia have been just talk.
David Benavidez, in his social media talk, desired a cruiserweight title unification bout. David realized reality with Premier Boxing Champions DAZN Pay-Per-View, on Saturday night, December 5, 2026, at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, in the main event.
PBC has announced that Benavidez, 32-0 with 26 knockouts, Miami, Florida, the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organisation world cruiserweight titleholder, will fight Michal Cieslak, the World Boxing Council cruiserweight world titleholder, in a mega unification bout. The unification bout became possible when Cieslak, 28-2 with 22 knockouts, the World Boxing Council Interim World Cruiserweight titleholder by virtue of his fourth round stoppage win over Jean Pascal at Place Bell Laval in Quebec, Canada in June 2025, got elevated to full World Boxing Council Cruiserweight champion when Norair Mikaeljan of Armenia, the WBC cruiserweight champion, got stripped when he opted to fight Jai Opetaia for a Dana White league cruiserweight belt instead and got stopped in the ninth round and got dropped and stopped in the ninth round at T-Mobile Arena in las Vegas this past September. Benavidez was the mandatory for Mikaeljan, who opted for Opetaia instead and got stopped in the ninth round at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Benavidez was the mandatory challenger for Mikaeljan, whom he avoided.
On the same card, 24-0 Vergil Ortiz Jr., the World Boxing Council Interim World Super Welterweight champion, will fight former World Welterweight champion Keith Thurman in the scheduled 12-round preliminary bout to the main event at 160 pounds middleweight with no belt at stake. Thurman, age 37, lost to Sebastian Fundora in a World Boxing Council Super Welterweight title bout in March 2026 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, getting stopped in the sixth round. Thurman, who stopped Brock Jarvis in March 2025 in the third round, has fought only twice in four years. Thurman showed ring rust, age, and little of his former prowess against Fundora, and seems to be seeking another final major payday. 18-0 Las Vegas super lightweight Emiliano Vargas, 16-0 Kansas middleweight Marco Romero, and 12-0-1 Australian super welterweight Nikita Tszyu are also scheduled to appear on the DAZN televised undercard against opponents to be named.
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