Turki Alalshikh is already looking past the present and aiming at a heavyweight fight between Oleksandr Usyk and David Benavidez in 2027, a plan that raises as many questions as it answers.
Mike Coppinger reported that Turki wants to match Usyk and Benavidez for the heavyweight championship, per Ring Magazine, just days after Benavidez moved up to cruiserweight and stopped Gilberto Ramirez to win two titles.
The timing is aggressive. Benavidez has only just arrived at 200 pounds, and the idea of him moving again to heavyweight against a technically complete champion like Usyk shifts the focus from momentum to projection.
His debut at cruiserweight did answer one question. Benavidez became the first fighter to stop Ramirez, showing his power carried up against a durable opponent who had never previously been halted.
.@Turki_alalshikh wants to make Oleksandr Usyk vs. David Benavidez for the heavyweight championship in 2027, @ringmagazine has learned. Benavidez moved up to cruiserweight Saturday and won two titles with a KO victory of Zurdo Ramirez. Usyk returns May 23 to defend his Ring… pic.twitter.com/vd9NLHeU1X
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 4, 2026
What comes next at cruiserweight is less clear. A fight with Jai Opetaia has already been cast into doubt after sanctioning issues removed a straightforward path to a unification, leaving fewer obvious targets at the weight.
Usyk, meanwhile, is set to return on May 23, when he faces Rico Verhoeven in a bout that has already drawn scrutiny, given Verhoeven’s limited boxing experience. The sanctioning bodies have not all aligned publicly on how that fight affects Usyk’s title status.
Turki’s involvement keeps these kinds of matchups in play, even when they sit outside the usual progression. The idea is ambitious, but it depends on Benavidez proving he belongs at each step before the next one is even considered.
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Last Updated on 2026/05/04 at 11:28 AM
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