David Benavidez vs Cieslak — Oritz vs Thurman - FULL Press Conference & Face Off Video

[0:05] a massive unification showdown between undefeated Mexican superstar and unified WBA and WBO [0:11] Cruiserweight World Champion David El Monstro Benavidez taking on WBC Cruiserweight title [0:17] holder Mikael Shislak. It all goes down Saturday, December 5th live from the Desert Diamond Arena [0:22] in Glendale, Arizona. We welcome everyone to the first press conference for the three belt [0:32] Cruiserweight unification fight between the WBO and WBA champion the monster David Benavidez [0:39] and WBC title holder Mikael Shislak. This is a fight that will take place December 5th at [0:45] Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona and air live and exclusively on DAZN and DAZN on Prime Video. [0:52] I'm Chris Maddox part of DAZN's broadcast team and excited to be here for the next chapter in David [0:58] Benavidez's story as he looks to become one step closer to becoming undisputed in the Cruiserweight [1:04] division. Standing in his way is Shislak who has won seven fights in a row since a competitive loss [1:10] to Lawrence Zicoli just a few years ago with all of those wins coming by knockout. This is an outstanding [1:17] main event that tops a five fight card that includes a couple of fights at least that could be main events [1:24] on their own. We have the return of Marco Romero, the middleweight prospect who picked up his third [1:29] straight first round knockout a couple of weeks ago. He will look for his sixth win in 2026 and maybe [1:37] lock up prospect of the year along the way when he takes on veteran Cruz Stewart. Up next Nikita Zhu, [1:43] the son of legendary former champion Kostya Zhu, the younger brother of middleweight contender Tim Zhu. [1:49] He will make his U.S. debut against Roberto Valenzuela Jr. And speaking of prospects, [1:54] a man that cleaned up on the prospect of the year awards in 2025 is Emiliano Vargas. 18-0, 15 knockouts, [2:03] the number two ranked 140 pounder in the world. He looks to move a step closer to a world title shot [2:09] when he takes on Omar Juarez. And the co-main event should be a good one. Virgil Ortiz Jr., one of the most [2:16] exciting fighters in all of boxing. He makes his middleweight debut against former unified welterweight [2:22] champion Keith one-time Thurman. And of course, the main event, David Benavidez, the monster, [2:29] now the king of the cruiserweight division. He looks to add another belt to his collection when [2:35] he takes on WBC champion Mikhail Shishlak, who is joining us for this press conference via Zoom. [2:41] We're going to get to him in just a couple of minutes. Tickets are available for this fight over [2:46] at Ticketmaster.com. And if you can't be in Arizona, you can check out the action 8 o'clock Eastern, [2:52] 5 Pacific, live on DAZN and DAZN on Prime Video. All right, a lot of people to get to today. I want to [2:58] start with the man that has guided the career of David Benavidez, one of the great talent scouts in all [3:04] of boxing, the head of Sampson Boxing, Mr. Sampson Lukowicz. Thank you very much to everyone. [3:23] It's a real fight. But before we talk about that fight, I want to say thank you to Anne Heyman, [3:32] Luis de Cuba Jr., and definitely who will start this long trip that he was in Showtime, [3:43] Steven Espinoza. And then it comes BBC, now DAZN, that it be a great, great unified network to make this [3:59] happen. First of all, I want to clarify something very important. When the WBC mandate to fight the [4:11] champion, I start to negotiate that in that time, the champion, he was like, I make again, I start to [4:21] negotiate with Dan King. And after two or three weeks, most, I realized that that happened, he [4:28] would never, that fight would never happen. So immediately, I call the interim champion, [4:37] there's the promoter that you say, Andrew Wielinski and Jack Solywinski, that is a friend of mine for [4:47] over 25 years. I told him, look, I know this will not happen, so I need to have a plan B, and you are the [4:57] plan B, I want to send you a contract. He told me, okay, send me a contract. And it took me minutes to [5:06] make this fight happen, because all this, the friendship that I got for over 30 years in this [5:13] business. So it's not a substitute, the champion today, it's training for five months, maybe five [5:23] months next month. So it's four months that the training for this fight. So David, you have a fight. [5:30] I can tell you that much. So with that in mind, I will say that you have an undercard that you cannot [5:41] miss. Wonderful undercard. And hopefully, everybody will come and sell out the place, the home of David [5:52] Benavides, that is Desert Diamond Arena in Glyndale, Arizona. Thank you very much to everyone. And [5:59] remember, it's not an opponent, it's the pride of Poland. And it comes with seven chaos on the [6:06] reward. Thank you very much, and glad to see you all. Thank you, Sampson. So this event is presented [6:19] by premier boxing champions. But as you can see, there are a lot of promoters represented here on this [6:25] stage today. You've got PBC, Sampson boxing, see Oscar, golden boy, kind of sandwiched in between [6:32] everybody there, Oscar. You're good? All right. Top rank, no limit, my guys, the Nolan brothers, [6:39] best promoters in all of boxing. A couple of years ago, you couldn't get some of these promoters [6:44] in the same room, much less working together on a fight card. But on DAZN, they are working together [6:51] to put on some of the deepest fight cards in all of boxing. I want to introduce DAZN's head of boxing in [6:55] North America, Britton Harden. Thank you, Chris. Appreciate it. You know, I can't help but smile [7:08] when I'm at these press conferences, man, because I'm just so enthusiastic about the future of the sport. [7:15] And when I accepted this role, I bought into a vision that DAZN would be the home of the biggest [7:25] promoters, the best fighters, and the most consistent boxing programming. And when I look at this stage today, [7:33] it looks like that vision is starting to take shape. On this stage with me is two of my favorite [7:41] prospects in the sport. Marco, always in the thrilling fight. Chris, you kind of ran down [7:51] Emiliano's record, so I don't have to double down on it. But, you know, when I look at these two young [7:57] men, I feel like the sport is in really great hands with them coming through the rankings. But Emiliano has a [8:02] really great fight coming up. And anybody who knows boxing knows it on December 5th. He, you know, [8:09] he's chosen to take on a task that, you know, is going to really show what he's made of. His opponent is [8:15] no slouch. There's also a future Hall of Famer on this stage who have given us some of the most thrilling [8:23] nights that we've had in modern day boxing. And something tells me that Keith one time Thurman has a [8:30] few more thrilling nights left in him. But it's not come easy because standing opposite of him, [8:37] again, Chris, to your credit, one of the most exciting fighters on the scene today, Virgil Ortiz, [8:43] who something tells me he doesn't want to just be the co-feature on this card. I feel like he's [8:50] going to try to steal the show. And last but not least, I'm sharing the stage with an absolute monster [8:56] who on December 5th is going to put the boxing world on notice that this is their Monstros era. [9:03] Am I right? Here we go. And I mentioned they're all promoted by various promoters, right? This is [9:13] something that is a misnomer in the sport where people feel like the public feel like these promoters [9:18] don't want to work together, but they do. And that's what's so cool about this moment, because for so [9:26] long in the sport of boxing, we have to talk about, or all we've had to talk about were, you know, sides of [9:32] the streets and lines that divide us. But at DAZN internally, what we've been talking about is a [9:38] better future for the audience, a better future for the fans, where they can get the fights that [9:43] they want to see. And I feel like we're not going to have to talk about it anymore, because you're [9:50] actually seeing the future unfold right in front of your eyes. And the only place you can see it is on [9:56] the global home of boxing. And that's DAZN. So on December 5th, you guys, make sure you're there, [10:01] make sure you enjoy the fights, because I know I am. Thank you. [10:04] All right, let's get to some of the fighters. I feel like I was just talking about this guy, [10:16] because I was. Just two weeks ago, we saw Marco Romero in action, stop Matias Ferreira on [10:23] Sebastian Pandora's undercard. Now he'd be looking for another knockout on David Benavidez's undercard. [10:29] 16-0, 14 knockouts, looking for that sixth win of 2026. Please welcome one of the best prospects in all of [10:37] boxing, Marco Romero. No, well, first and foremost, I want to thank God, PBC, Tom Brown, and TGB [10:47] Promotions for the opportunity. And, you know, and everybody that's, you know, involved in making [10:51] this event happen. Man, I'm just super grateful. Like he said, I was just on two big cards, you know, [10:57] coming off not even two weeks ago, 11 days. So I'm ready. I'm staying in the gym, staying focused, [11:02] and I'm just ready to deliver another knockout December 5th, especially with all these chambers. [11:06] I got to deliver. I got to deliver. It was only going to be fireworks that night. So December 5th, [11:10] stay tuned. All right. Well, I mentioned that Emiliano Vargas is targeting his first world [11:16] title shot. Well, the guy he's facing certainly believes he belongs on that level too. Omar [11:22] Juarez, 28-2, both losses coming by majority decision. Both losses coming above the 140-pound limit. He has [11:30] since won seven fights in a row since his last defeat. From Brownsville, Texas, please welcome Omar Juarez. [11:37] Good afternoon, everybody. First and foremost, I want to thank God for this opportunity. I want to thank [11:45] Al Heyman, PBC, my team, and I'm extremely excited. I'm excited to be back on the big stage, [11:52] have fun doing what I'm doing, and I'm more than excited to deliver a spectacular fight. [11:59] Expect nothing but fireworks fight night and tune in live on the zone. [12:04] I appreciate it, Omar. It is a tall task in front of him on December 5th. Emiliano Vargas coming off [12:10] back-to-back knockout wins. Most recently, a fourth-round stoppage of Bryce Mills. At 22 years [12:16] old, he is quickly developing into one of the most exciting young contenders in all of boxing. Please [12:21] welcome Emiliano Vargas. Thank you, everybody, for having me. It's a beautiful thing to see all the [12:29] promoters coming together. Thank you to the Benavides camp for having me on this amazing card, huge card. [12:37] Every time I've fought in Arizona, there's been nothing but fireworks. I've fought there 1 p.m., 2 p.m., [12:43] and it looks like a main event, so I'm just very blessed. The energy, the crowd is only going to make [12:50] me fight harder, so I'm just very blessed to do it with such talent on the card, and like I said, [12:55] I'm looking to close this year strong, you know, and a big main event come early next year, but I know [13:01] I don't get to any of that if I don't get past Omar Juarez. He's a tough, strong Mexican fighter. He's going to bring [13:07] out the resilience out of me, and I know that at the end of the day, it's going to be a great night for the fans. [13:12] I'm excited, and looking to close out the year strong with either a 10-round dominant performance or [13:20] an early night. Only God knows, but thank you to everybody. I appreciate everybody's time, and God will be all the glory. [13:26] All right, well, the fighters in the co-main event really need no introduction. Keith Thurman is one of the most [13:37] recognizable names in all of boxing. His resume includes wins over Danny Garcia, Sean Porter, [13:43] Robert Guerrero. Last time out, came up short against Sebastian Pandora, and he will try to erase [13:49] that memory in his middleweight debut. Please welcome Keith one-time Thurman. [13:54] What's up? What's up, everybody? So grateful to be here. Another historical night of boxing is coming [14:03] up on December 5th. I got a lot of beautiful boxing history on my resume, and I'm definitely looking [14:08] forward to adding this one. You know, as I sit next to my man Oscar here, it brings me back. You know, [14:15] some of my greatest wins as I was coming up were on the early Golden Boy cards, so it's beautiful to [14:22] get together, see these promoters just put together a stat card, and I'm really excited for the future of [14:28] boxing. I'm fighting one of the young guys who wants to be exactly that, the future of the sport of [14:34] boxing. I've been up against undefeated fighters in the past. I've made some upsets, and that's what [14:39] I'm planning on doing. I know a lot of people are doubting me with my last performance. Styles makes [14:45] fights, people, and I believe that this is a great fight that you're not going to want to miss come [14:49] December 5th. Keith Thurman versus Virgil Ortiz. Don't blink. All right, well, no one knows the challenge [14:58] that Keith Thurman has in front of him better than the man to his right. Sixth division world champion, [15:03] 11 world titles, boxing hall of famer, and the chairman of Golden Boy promotions, the Golden Boy, [15:09] Oscar De La Hoya. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Please sit down, please. I do want to say, [15:22] first of all, how excited I am that promoters are coming together, finally, are coming together to put [15:32] on some really spectacular cards for the viewing fans, and we do have to thank The Zone for making [15:41] it happen. We at Golden Boy have been preaching for a very long time, for many years, that the best have [15:50] to fight the best, and we are finally seeing it on The Zone, which has been making it happen for every [15:59] fighter out there. The fans are loving the fights. They're even fights, great match-ups, and obviously [16:08] Virgil Ortiz versus Keith Thurman. And people are probably scratching their head why that fight. [16:14] Well, let me tell you why. As a fighter, not as a promoter. Like Keith Thurman said, we've been [16:21] promoting him. We promoted him early on in his career from from the get-go. And I know exactly [16:29] what Keith Thurman brings to the table. I know exactly what his resume is, what his boxing style [16:38] is, the heart that he brings to the ring every single time. Keith Thurman only has two losses [16:48] against a Hall of Famer fighter like Manny Pacquiao and a future Hall of Famer in Fundora. And I know he's [16:57] hungry. And when you have a hungry fighter like Keith Thurman, who has the experience, who has the ring [17:04] savviness, who has the IQ. You know, he can upset quite a few fighters. But on December 5th, he is [17:15] facing Virgil Ortiz, who's a hungry fighter. He's a hard hitter. He's got a heart of a lion. But keep [17:25] one thing in mind. Yeah, he's been out for a year, which is maybe gonna even out the playing field, [17:32] so to speak. And that's why it makes it a very interesting fight. On one hand, you have Keith Thurman, [17:38] who's gonna want to derail the plans of the future world champion in Virgil Ortiz. And then you have [17:45] Virgil Ortiz, who wants to get right back on track and fight the toughest, the best fights possible [17:55] in his career before he retires. So this is quite a fight in the co-main event. Obviously, the main event [18:03] is speaks for itself. What I'm really excited about is being in Arizona. I know it's gonna be a sellout [18:10] crowd. We're going back to David's hometown. But he's not fighting a slouch. It's a unification. What [18:20] I'm really excited about is the Polish fans who are gonna turn up. I've seen those fans in Chicago. I've seen [18:27] those fans everywhere. They go follow their own. They follow their champions. And mark my words, [18:35] you'll see thousands of Polish fans in Arizona cheering on their guys. So it's gonna be a fun night. [18:41] It's gonna be a very electrifying night live on the zone. We're super excited. I do want to say, [18:50] first of all, thank you to Eric Gomez, my president of Golden Boy Promotions, for making it happen, [18:57] for doing all the hard work, the late work, and making sure that Golden Boy runs like a well-oiled [19:04] machine. And everybody on the team. You know, it takes an army to put something like this together. [19:11] And I'm glad that, what is it, three or four soldiers and us promoters are coming together and [19:19] making sure that we, uh, we give the fans what the fans deserve. And that's great fights from these [19:25] great fighters that are on the podium. Um, [19:28] Si, gracias. Gracias por estar aquí. Estamos emocionados. Estamos contentos por, uh, [19:35] por brindarlos esta bonita tarde en este día en Los Ángeles. Va a ser una gran pelea. [19:43] Diciembre 5, Virgil Ortiz está de regreso para conquistar el mundo. Pero tiene un gran [19:50] campeón en Keith Thurman, que es una, un veterano joven, un veterano que tiene mucha hambre. Y se los [20:00] prometo que sí va a ser una gran pelea porque Keith Thurman tiene mucha, mucha experiencia. Así que [20:06] gracias a The Zone por este, por darnos la la oportunidad de tener este gran evento en su plataforma. [20:16] Gracias a Benavides por ser un gran campeón, lo que es, unificando otro campeonato mundial, [20:24] solamente para darles a los fans un, un espectáculo. Y eso, eso para mí es un gran campeón. Así que [20:31] gracias a todos los aficionados, a los fans, y especialmente a los peleadores. Gracias. [20:37] Thank you, Oscar. All right, it's been almost a year now since we have seen Virgil Ortiz Jr. in the ring, [20:50] top contender at 147, interim title holder at 154, now chasing his first world title in the 160-pound [20:58] division. He has 24-0, 22 knockouts on his resume from Dallas, Texas, Virgil Ortiz Jr. [21:06] What's up, guys? It's been a while. First of all, I want to thank God for putting me in this position [21:17] and, you know, just for placing all the right people in my life. Thank you for Golden Boy, [21:22] everyone in Golden Boy. I didn't know how much I missed you guys until I came back after a year. [21:27] I even missed doing the media, which is crazy. I want to thank my media team, my manager, Rick, [21:35] my dad, Robert Garcia, who's here today. I'm not sure where he's at, but he's over here somewhere. [21:41] Shout out to Chef Chan, you know, amazing job making my eggs and oatmeal in the morning by request. [21:47] I love it. I'm just very happy to be back in my element, you know, just being home, [21:56] not fighting. I don't have a purpose in life just to fight, you know. I was saying this earlier, [22:01] like, I'm going to have to find something else to do after I retire because all I know is boxing. [22:06] I don't know. I want to open up like a coffee shop or something. I'm getting sidetracked. [22:10] But anyways, I'm very happy to be here. I'm fighting a very good opponent, Keith Thurman. [22:19] I'm going to gas him up a little bit. He was my favorite welterweight at the time of like 2016, [22:24] 2017. I picked him over Danny Garcia and Sean Porter. So it's, you know, I'm very happy to [22:33] have him as my future opponent. You know, happy to see all the promoters working together to make the [22:41] best fights happen. You know, people behind the scenes know that I just want the best fights. [22:46] And, you know, I'm very happy to, even happier to be a part of Benavidez's card, you know, [22:55] especially in Arizona. I mean, it's going to be a movie on December 5th. You know, Benavidez is, [23:00] uh, I love to do it as a person and a fighter. And this is, this is going to be great at a boxing, [23:06] but I'm going to keep yapping. But before I do that, I just, I want to take the time and just [23:13] cherish the moment here because it's been a while, you know, so thank you guys for being here. [23:22] Coffee shop, huh? [23:24] Coffee shop. [23:25] You and Bam? [23:27] We could do that in the future. Yeah, for sure. [23:29] A coffee shop collaboration? [23:31] Yes, sir. [23:32] It'd be a strange coffee shop. [23:36] To the main event. Poland has a long history of very talented cruiserweight champions. We have [23:42] had Darius Mikulczewski, Krzysztof Glowoski, Tomasz Adamek. Mikhail Shislak is hoping to become [23:48] the next great cruiserweight to come out of Poland. He is joining us via Zoom today. Please welcome [23:54] the WBC cruiserweight champion, Mikhail Shislak. Mikhail, can you hear us? [24:07] Yes, we can hear you. [24:11] Well, welcome. I don't know if you have any opening statements to make, uh, here for the press. [24:20] Can you repeat? Uh, hear, what? [24:23] Still hear us? [24:32] Yeah, we hear you. [24:33] Do you have any opening statement to make? [24:35] Yes, hello everybody. I'm very happy to be here. I cannot wait for fights. I cannot wait until I go to [25:09] the United States and share the link with David Benavidez. [25:13] All right. We appreciate you being here via Zoom, Mikhail. We'll come back to you [25:18] in just a couple of minutes. Uh, behind every great fighter is a great trainer and David Benavidez [25:24] has a good one who also happens to be his dad. Please welcome the father and the trainer of David [25:30] Benavidez who celebrated a birthday this week, Jose Benavidez Sr. [25:34] here. [25:37] Ah, muchas gracias a todos. Muchas gracias por estar aquí, a todas las personas que están [25:40] aquí, que se encargan de la prensa y de las redes sociales. Y pues aquí estamos representando [25:46] a México, representando a nuestra gente latina, aquí representando a nuestra bandera, ¿no? [25:51] Y muy contentos de estar aquí en Los Ángeles. Y pues muy emocionado con esta cartelera que va a ser [25:57] el 5 de diciembre en Phoenix, Arizona. Y pues muy contento, ¿no?, de tener aquí a Virgil Ortiz en la misma cartelera, [26:03] al general, a Marco y a todos estos muchachos, ¿no?, que estoy súper emocionado porque yo sé [26:10] que van a dar un buen espectáculo y pues ahí vamos a estar mirándolos, ¿no? Y por eso estoy [26:16] súper emocionado. Y pues, ¿qué le puedo decir de David Benavidez? Está preparado, siempre [26:20] viene listo para darles una guerra y no se la pueden perder este diciembre 5. Vamos a pelear [26:27] con el campeón en una pelea difícil y vamos a unificar títulos, WVA, WVO, WVC. [26:34] Y pues estamos súper emocionados, motivados, entrenando duro para darles una guerra. Y pues, [26:40] invitar a toda la gente latina y a toda mi gente de aquí, de Estados Unidos y de donde sea, de México, [26:46] que vengan a Phoenix, Arizona, apoyarnos. Y si no pueden venir, compren su pay-per-view. Va a ser una [26:52] pelea espectacular, una pelea buenísima. Y pues, hay garantía de que siempre que David Benavidez [26:58] pelea, es garantía de que va a ser una buena noche, una guerra y un espectáculo. Así que quiero dar las [27:05] gracias a todos. Muchas gracias a toda mi raza arriba la bandera. Y un saludo especial ahí para mi amigo [27:10] Concrete que nos está apoyando aquí y siempre anda con nosotros. Saludos. Muchas gracias a todos. [27:20] Why don't you translate? Oh, do you want to say something in English, Jose, first? [27:24] Man, I forgot. I kind of knew a little bit of English. Super excited about this fight. First of all, [27:30] I want to thank all my people, all the Mexicans, you know, that come here. And, you know, we always try [27:35] to give our family a better future. Super excited about this fight. Super excited to have Virgil Ortiz [27:41] fighting in the same card as we are. El General, un peleador también que viene con muchas ganas. [27:48] El muchacho Romero también. Un peleador buenísimo. A great fighter. I'm sorry, I just got excited. [27:56] Super excited to have Virgil Ortiz here. El General. And Romero, I can't wait. I'm super excited to [28:05] see them fight also. And I just want to thank the media also. I want to thank Al Heyman, Luis de Cuba, [28:10] Sansom. And I can't wait, you know, to to be fighting in front of our crowd. Phoenix, Arizona. [28:18] That's where everything started. David Benavides was born there and that's where we started boxing. And [28:25] all I can tell you that David Benavides is ready, super motivated. And we're going to have a hell of a [28:30] night. When David steps in the ring, he brings a lot of excitement and brings a war to every fight. [28:38] And for the people that can't make it, I would like to invite everybody to come over to Arizona. [28:43] If you can't make it, you know, you're going to be able to see it in the zone. So come on over. And I [28:50] just want to tell everybody, thank you so much for your support and super excited to bring you guys this [28:55] fight. December 5th. Don't miss it. You freaked out poor Martin over there. I think you thought [29:02] he was going to have to translate all that. The headliner on December 5th needs no introduction, [29:10] truly. Title holder at 168 and 175. Now the unified champion at Cruiserweight coming off a destructive [29:18] knockout win over Zerto Ramirez and looking to add a third belt to his Cruiserweight collection. 32-0, [29:26] 26 knockouts from Phoenix, Arizona, making his homecoming in December. El Monstro, David Benavides. [29:33] Hello, everybody. First of all, I'd just like to thank everybody for coming here. I also want to thank [29:39] God. I want to thank my beautiful wife for giving me the love and the support and for giving me my [29:43] my beautiful kids. And to give me the motivation, I need to keep working hard. I also want to thank my [29:50] father, Jose Benavides, my brother, Jose Benavides Jr., Samson Lukowicz, Luis Sikubas, Al Heyman, [29:57] everybody here, man. We've been working extremely hard. I got about 13 weeks in training camp already. [30:02] We got another five weeks left. So like I said, I come ready for whoever. It doesn't matter who it [30:07] is. I see C-Slack. You know, he's a great fighter. He's a champion. You know, I know he's going to come [30:12] ready. He knows this is a big opportunity for him. So, you know, I'm not leaving nothing to chance. I'm [30:16] coming in here. I feel great. I'm finally in the position to make myself a king and become a unified [30:23] champion in this weight class. And there's nothing that's going to stand in my way, stand in my way. [30:28] And I'm very excited for this whole fight card. You know, I see seven fighters here and we all got [30:33] that dog in us. So everybody's going to be trying to still have the fight of the night. You know, [30:38] it's going to be a fun night, December 5th, Phoenix, Arizona. I want to give you guys some [30:42] great fights. So I cannot wait. Thank you guys for everything. All right. I got a few questions for [30:50] the fighters up here on the stage. I want to start with Marco Romero. Like you said, 11 days ago, [30:56] you got out of the ring, first round knockout. Did you walk right up to [30:59] Tom Brown, say, Louie de Cubas, put me in. I'm ready to go again. No, as soon as we got off, [31:04] as soon as we got out of the ring, I was like ready. Put me, put me wherever, put me tomorrow. [31:08] I'm ready for another fight tomorrow. You know, you had a third straight first round knockout. Like, [31:13] how do you see yourself developing over this past year? No, I think it's been my statement year. [31:18] It's been my statement year. I'm, I'm coming with every performance. I'm coming to demonstrate that, [31:23] you know, Midwest got some bad asses and I'm, and I'm ready to stand my name in the, [31:27] in the history books of boxing and bring that world title back home. [31:30] I don't know if you had much time to study your opponent already going to this fight, but [31:33] do you think this is the kind of guy that can push you at least into the second round? [31:37] We can see, we can see. You're going to have to see, uh, December 5th. And you know, [31:41] I come prepared for all eight rounds or if it's a short night, just remember is whenever you see the [31:47] opening, the shark bites. You've been telling everybody you're ready for a top 10 name in your division. [31:52] Do you think this is the fight that springboards you to that next one? [31:55] Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Uh, you know, I, like we said, we've got to steal the night, [31:59] got to see the night and I, and hopefully you also get that prospect of the year. I mean, [32:03] six fights in one year. I mean, come on, man. [32:06] You know, people that don't know you're trained by John Brown who famously trained [32:11] Tommy Morrison back in the day. You got any, uh, Tommy Morrison to your game? [32:14] Uh, yeah, that left hook. I just haven't been able to demonstrate it, man. I knock him out with my right [32:19] too much. Got to switch it up. I'll probably switch it up with the left hook this time. [32:23] All right. Well, good luck to you, Marco. Thank you. [32:25] Uh, we'll go to Omar Juarez to your left. Omar, start with your recent winning streak, [32:29] seven wins in a row. Uh, what's been going on with you over these last seven fights? [32:34] No, I've just been, uh, staying ready, you know, staying active. I've been gone from my home of [32:39] Brownsville, Texas for since January in Las Vegas with my trainer, Bob Santos, soaking in all the [32:45] knowledge, getting the best sparring, the best work. And you know, I just, I want to, [32:50] I'm going to become world champion, you know? So I know that I need to fight the big names. [32:55] I, uh, Emiliano is one of the biggest names in 140 pounds. So, you know, I'm a competitor, [33:00] man. I want to better myself. I'm looking forward to this fight and looking forward to just having [33:04] fun in there. So you mentioned working with Bob Santos now training you out in Las Vegas. [33:08] What have you learned from your time with Bob? That, you know what, man, I've learned a lot [33:16] about myself. Most importantly, that I'm made for this, uh, made to be a prize fighter. So like I [33:22] said, I just can't wait to fight. I can't wait to go out there and demonstrate all my blood, sweat, [33:26] and tears and just have fun doing what I love. A lot of people in boxing think Emiliano is the next [33:32] big thing in the junior welterweight division. What do you think when you look at him? He's a good [33:37] fighter. I'm not going to take anything away from him, but I want to be a world champion and I'm a [33:42] a good competitor. So, you know, I'm looking forward to getting competitive in there come [33:46] fight night and it's going to be a very fan friendly fight. You know, we're both in there [33:50] to prove something. So, you know, it's going to be good. He said 10 round domination or early knockout. [33:56] How do you see this fight going? I'm going to win. That's it. I'm going to win. I mean, [34:02] I've sacrificed my time away from my family, put all my money into this. I've done everything I [34:08] possibly can to be in this position and I'm just looking forward to winning. That's it. [34:12] All right. We appreciate it, Omar. Emiliano, we'll turn to you. Outstanding performance [34:16] your last time out against Bryce Mills. You fought Southpaw the entire fight. Showed a new wrinkle, [34:21] I think, to your game going the entire fight, fighting that style. How did you feel about that [34:25] performance? Look, in order to make my dreams a reality, I have to crush it. And at the end of the [34:34] day, that's what this sport is about. I love what I do. And I know since the age of 10 years old, [34:40] my dream was to become a world champion and it's around the corner. So I don't get to that. [34:45] If I don't get past Omar Juarez, like I said, this is going to be great for my resume and my [34:50] experience has been in there with great champions. He's taking them the distance. He's never been [34:55] stopped before. And I believe I'm the guy to do that. So like I said, December 5th, Arizona, [35:03] it's going to be an amazing experience. And going back to your question, you know, [35:07] we're always continuously getting better. I want to work on everything. I'm my biggest [35:11] critic. At the end of the day, my father is a student of the game still and wants to continue [35:16] to learn, wants to continue to grow. All I want to do is to be the best fighter I could possibly be. [35:21] We're pushing our limits. I believe every fight brings a different side out of me, [35:26] whether it's the southpaw, whether it's orthodox, whether it's counterpunching, [35:30] whether it's coming forward. I have everything in my arsenal to win. And there's nothing that's going [35:36] to stop me from closing the year out strong. Like I said, all I want to do is make big fights happen [35:43] and become world champion. And in order to do that and to be the superstar that God called me to be, [35:48] I got to get past Omar Juarez and run through him. So what do you think when you watch Omar on film? [35:57] I mean, look, we do our due diligence. He's a strong, tough fighter. I don't know. Did I spar somebody from [36:04] your team? Or I don't know if it was him. We were younger. But I mean, look, man, his team, [36:10] they know what I could do. They've been in there firsthand. Obviously, Bob Santos is in Vegas. [36:17] You know, he's seen me grow up and go through the ranks. So I'm just very excited. I'm very blessed [36:22] to be here. And like I said, I mean, they know what I could do. And the boxing fans and the world [36:27] hasn't seen the full capabilities of what I'm able to do. Whatever is necessary to win, whether it's [36:33] counterpunching coming forward, you know, they're going to need a better game plan than just putting [36:37] pressure. You mentioned his resume to losses, both majority decisions, never been stopped before. [36:42] How confident are you that you can get a stoppage? Yeah, no doubt. I mean, look, we are going to [36:47] dominate regardless. I know that he hasn't seen a style like mine. You know, at the end of the day, [36:55] he's been in there with some great champions. But the thing about me is that, you know, we continue to [37:00] get better. And, you know, he has to get in there and face my style. Whatever he has, I'm going to [37:07] take his best ability away from him. And like I said, it's going to be an amazing fight come fight [37:12] night, an amazing experience for the fans. Arizona, like I said, every time I fought down there, I [37:18] felt the energy from the crowd. I think one of my favorite knockouts was down there in Arizona, [37:23] controlling the crowd and jumping on those ropes and hearing all those fans scream Vargas. So, [37:28] like I said, you've never seen a boring Vargas fight and it's not going to start with me. So, [37:33] thank you to everybody. And we'll see you December 5th. [37:35] I appreciate it, Emiliano. Keith Thurman, right back in the mix. Good to see you again. [37:40] Didn't go your way last time around, but you're jumping right back into the fire [37:44] against one of the best fighters in all of boxing, Virgil Ortiz. What's your confidence level [37:49] going into this fight? Yeah, for me, you know, I'd have to say that my last performance was one of the [37:56] poorest performers of my career. It was very uneventful for me. So, this is just a redemption [38:01] fight, you know. I always want to fight the best. I love making exciting fights. I love being on big [38:06] stages, just like this with Benavidez. So, at the end of the day, you know, it's just another part of [38:14] boxing history. The zone, the collaboration, you know. You guys get to see Thurman back in action [38:21] instead of the inactivity, you know. Last year, we were actually presenting with this fight with [38:27] Virgil in October and eventually I got the phone call thinking I was going to receive the contract [38:35] and they said that we might be able to get you the champion, Fundora. So, last year it was a coin toss. [38:44] You can only take one fight at a time. I opt out of this fight last year. When it presented itself [38:49] this year, it only made sense. He came up last year. We went for Fundora. We lost to Fundora. [38:57] They still want this fight. I still want this fight and I think the fans want this fight. [39:01] So, that's why I'm here. I signed up. I'm active and I'm just going to do my best to stay active [39:07] as long as I can until I retire. So, people that watched that Fundora fight that would ask the [39:12] question, what does Keith Thurman have left? How would you answer that? Tune in December 5th, you know. [39:19] Like I said, that performance just, it was not my night. Styles makes fights. He is very awkward. [39:26] I was slow cooking. I've never in my career took that long to, you know, get comfortable in the ring. [39:34] But as I was comfortable, as uncomfortable as I was bleeding, knowing there was damage, [39:39] knowing that he's a volume puncher, I started to settle down my nerves, rely on my defense, [39:44] and the fight just got stopped short. So, I ultimately couldn't show the world how much of [39:50] a dog Keith Thurman is. You know, when I fought Manny Pacquiao, I was knocked down. I was never [39:56] stopped. I fight Sebastian Fundora. I was stopped, but I was never dropped, you know. So, I'm looking [40:02] forward to seeing what this young man brings to the table. I know he's coming with that strength. I know [40:07] he's coming with that potential, that youth, that energy, you know. I'm going to do everything in my [40:13] arsenal to break up the rhythm. This fight reminds me of when I fought Diego Chavez, Oscar. Huh? Diego [40:21] Chavez. He was 22 and 0 with 18 knockouts. I was 20 and 0 with 18 knockouts, right? So, I know what it's [40:27] like for Ortiz to be at this stage of his career with all these knockouts, but eventually you're going [40:32] to run into guys that you can't knock out. He's already experienced that a little bit in his [40:36] career, but the more that you get to this stage, it just happens to where, you know, fights become [40:42] a little bit more challenging. They go the distance, and he's a great challenge for me. I'm a great [40:47] challenge for him, and I'm just looking forward, you know, to upsetting the apple card and re-establishing [40:52] the name that is Keith One Time Thurman. This feels like to me like it has the makings of a shootout [40:57] between you two guys. Do you think that's the way this fight is likely to go, and what makes you [41:02] believe you can win a shootout with someone like Virgil Ortiz? All that matters is that when he [41:08] hits me, at least I can hit him back, man. That six foot six monster, I couldn't touch that man, [41:13] you know? I was looking for counter punches, and my arms aren't long enough, you know? So, [41:19] just ultimately, this is a fight at 160. I did not ask to be here. They asked to be here. I asked for a [41:25] good fight. I think this is a good fight, so I think compromises are being made, but good matchups are [41:30] happening, and you know, he was 147, 154, now 160. This is his first fight at 160, my first fight at 160. [41:42] You know, I think it's a great matchup, you know? I know he's going to be favored, young, undefeated, [41:48] no reason to doubt this monster who's just been tearing through the division, you know, but there's [41:57] always that one fighter, that one time that, you know, it's unexpected, and I'm just going to lock in [42:04] in this camp, put together a good game plan, study hard, so that I can pass the test come December 5th. [42:11] All right, appreciate it, Keith. Virgil Ortiz, I want to kind of go back to, you know, you seem pretty [42:17] emotional being back up here, being off for a year, obviously difficult for you. Kind of, maybe you can [42:22] elaborate on what you're feeling now, being back in the mix, finally trying to get some of your momentum back. [42:28] Yeah, I'm very ecstatic to be back. You know, there's no better feeling knowing that I got a [42:33] fight coming up, and you know, a big fight like this one as well. You know, I know Keith Thurman is, [42:38] people are overlooking him, man. You know, people see him getting stopped this last fight. Well, [42:43] he got stopped by a world champion that's 6'8", that can tie his shoes standing up with his reach. [42:49] You know, that's crazy, you know? So, I mean, he's a hard fight for everyone, you know? So, [42:53] people are really downplaying him, downplaying this fight, downplaying me. So, I think that, [42:59] I mean, I don't know. People are funny like that, but I know that this fight is going to be one that [43:08] you're not going to want to miss, and that's that. You know, you mentioned you admired Keith [43:13] Thurman coming up. You were a fan of Keith Thurman. Was there any hesitation on your part to take a fight [43:18] against someone that you grew up admiring like that? Not at all. You know, and it's more of a, [43:23] like a respect thing. You know, he's an exciting fighter. I love to be in those exciting fights. [43:30] You know, that's the whole point of boxing. I just want to be in those good fights. Not saying that [43:35] I'm okay with losing, but if I lose to a great fighter and it was a great fight, that's the point. [43:42] You know, I want to be remembered to be one of those fighters that never said no to a fight, [43:46] which I haven't. You know, spoiler alert. But it's going to be a great fight night on December 5th. [43:56] You know, being back in the gym, having a fight date, being ready to go, what's that feeling been [44:01] like after all this time off? It's great. You know, because I mean, I've been in the gym for [44:06] for a year already, but just, you know, doing nothing. Me and Oscar had a little sparring match, [44:11] but, you know, we settled it. You know, we're good now. And but the whole time for a year, [44:19] I just kind of feel like I'm training for nothing in a way. I know it's not for nothing, [44:22] but at the same time, it's like, okay, well, let's do this for another month, another month, [44:27] another month. Okay, well, now what? You know, so it gets repetitive, groundhog days, [44:32] what I like to call it. But definitely, I feel like I'm doing something now with my life. [44:38] You got Erickson Lubin out there in two rounds. Think you do the same thing to Keith Thurman? [44:42] You know, I don't go in with that mentality. You know, you know, you fill them out, download [44:48] information during the fight. You know, obviously, I was a fan of Thurman growing up. Like, I mean, [44:53] I kind of know, you know, well, of course, we're not taking anyone lightly at all. [45:01] Study as well. And I mean, that's, that's, that's it. And just finally, the decision to go to 160, [45:07] you just feel like there wasn't going to be options available for you at 154, that things [45:12] were happening there, and you had to find to make your own path? Not anytime soon. You know, [45:17] so it's kind of like, well, how much longer do I have to wait? You know, I, I'm beginning to [45:24] understand how much I don't understand about boxing sometimes. You know, some people say I should have [45:32] been world champion already. I agree. Well, I just haven't got my shot, you know, so I just, I just, [45:38] I don't understand. So I'm just, I'm just doing everything that I can. [45:43] Whatever is in my control, I'm controlling. How did you feel about Jerron Ennis going a [45:47] different direction after that win over Zayas? I mean, I, I guess I don't blame him. [45:54] Why's that? Pretty self-explanatory. [45:59] Okay. Well, looking forward to seeing you back, Virgil. December 5th, [46:02] co-main event. Going to be an exciting fight. Thank you. [46:05] We'll go back to the Zoom. Mikael, can you hear us there? Yeah. [46:10] So tell me kind of what your confidence level is coming into a fight like this. Why do you believe [46:17] that you can be the first man to beat David Benavides? [46:19] My level of confidence is very high. I have been working my whole life for the fight like this, [46:42] and I cannot wait to show you my maximum and maybe even more. [46:48] I'm sure you've watched a lot of David Benavides. What do you think [46:52] your advantages are in a fight like this? [47:04] Yes, I saw a lot of fights [47:25] of David Benavides, and I admit he is absolutely great fighter. He throws a lot of punches up and down, [47:33] but we are both warriors. We both, we've both been waiting for such a fight for our whole life, [47:41] and we will do, we will give a great show. We saw David dominate Zerdo Ramirez last time out. What [47:48] did you think of that performance, and what can you do better in a fight like that? Did we lose you? [48:01] I was asking, good. I was asking you, did you see David's win over Zerdo, [48:14] and what did you think of it, and what do you think you would do better in a fight like that? [48:18] Yes, I have seen fight between Zerdo and Benavides, and Zerdo was fighting pretty well. What could he [48:44] done better? You will see December 5th. All right, we appreciate that, Mikel, and we'll turn now to the [48:52] headliner, David Benavides. I think people were wondering when you moved up to Cruiserweight, [48:56] would he have the same speed? Would he have the same power? The answer to both unequivocally, [49:00] yes. How did you feel fighting in the Cruiserweight division? I felt amazing. It was probably the best [49:08] fight I've had in my whole career, and I've had some really good fights in all my career, and it was the [49:12] heaviest I've ever been, and it's the fastest I've ever looked. It's the most, the strongest I've ever [49:16] felt, so I'm just very excited. I just, I feel like my, the experience I have from 168 and 175, [49:23] fighting the faster guys with better footwork, with faster combinations, and smaller, a harder [49:30] target to hit, has helped me to make this transition easier into Cruiserweight. You know, these guys, [49:35] you know, they're big, strong guys, but they don't move like light heavyweights. They don't have the speed [49:39] as them, and you know, not taking away from any of the fighters at Cruiserweight, but I feel like the [49:44] combinations, my combinations, my punch output is just going to be too much for, for anybody at [49:50] Cruiserweight, but hey, I'm a competitor. I want a competitive fight, because that brings the best [49:55] side of David Benavidez, so wherever the hardest fight is, you know, if he wants to make it hard for [49:59] me, then I'm looking forward to it. The thing about David Benavidez is that he can adapt to anything, [50:03] and I'm very accurate with my attack, so I'm ready for whatever comes my way. You know, last time we saw you, [50:09] you were hopping in the ring, challenging Jaya Pattaya, now you get Shishlak in a unification [50:14] fight. Why was this the right fight for you? Is it just about collecting those titles at Cruiserweight? [50:19] Yeah, definitely. You know, always at the end of the day, the accolades are what's most important, [50:24] and also to make the next fight bigger. This was the only piece standing in my way, you know, for, [50:31] to make the fight with Jaya Pattaya bigger, and after this, the winner of David Benavidez and Jaya Pattaya will be [50:38] the solidified king of the Cruiserweight division. So, you know, and I'm not looking past Shishlak. [50:45] I know he's a great fighter. I know he's really, he's trained really hard for this fight, but I've [50:51] been looking for my opportunity. I've been looking, I've not been looking for my opportunity. I've been [50:55] fighting for my opportunities, and now I have the chance to become unified Cruiserweight champion of [50:59] the world, and that's definitely, that's what I'm going to manifest and accomplish. Do you feel like even [51:05] with just one fight at Cruiserweight, the way that you dominated Zerto, who was arguably number one [51:09] at Cruiserweight at that time, that you deserve to be considered number one right now in the division? [51:14] I mean, it really just depends on, you know, on the person, you know what I mean? For me, [51:20] I think I'm the best, you know what I mean? I think I'm number one, but I'm not, I'm, [51:23] I'm not willing just to go saying I'm the best. I'd rather prove it. I'd rather earn it. I'd rather be, [51:29] you know, Shishlak, take his belt, and then go up there and beat Jaya Pattaya. I mean, [51:33] I believe I'm the best boxer, uh, boxer in all of boxing, but I have to prove it. You know, [51:38] talk is one thing, showing it is another thing. I don't know how much you've seen of him on tape, [51:42] but how big a challenge do you think he's going to be for you on the fifth? [51:45] Every, every world champion, they're not just world champions for no reason. No, [51:49] he's at this level for a reason. Um, he, he poses some challenges. You know, [51:54] he has good combinations. He has a good job. You know, he's beat world champions. He just beat [51:59] John Pascal for his last fight. So, you know, I don't take nothing away from him. He's a great [52:03] fighter. But like I said, if he wants to give me a hard time, then that's when El Monstro comes out. [52:07] And like I said, I'm a, I'm a proof to the world. I'm gonna make a statement and I'm gonna show [52:12] everybody why I'm the best in the world. You know, how's it feel going back to Arizona on a very [52:17] Mexican heavy card? You see these fighters up there, a lot of Mexican top talent on this card, [52:21] and you going back home again. What is that going to bring out of you? It's amazing, man. It's going to [52:25] bring back an even better version of myself. On the last fight, when I fought David Lemieux, it was an [52:31] amazing performance. Now this time, I want to steal the show. I don't want to steal the show. I want [52:37] to have the best performance of the night. There's a lot of competition. There's a lot of great fights. [52:41] You know, Keith Thurman versus Virgil Ortiz. That's a main event by itself. Vargas versus the prospect [52:48] he's fighting. You know, there's nothing but great fights on this card. You know what I mean? So, [52:53] I'm excited for the crowd of Phoenix, Arizona, because they're going to get a hell of a night of boxing. [52:58] They're going to get memories that they're never going to forget, and we're going to go out there, [53:02] and we're all going to put it all on the line and give the fans, give the world of boxing, [53:06] a great night of boxing. All right. I appreciate that, David. I think it's going to be an excellent [53:10] night. December 5th, Glendale, Arizona, Desert Diamond Arena, 8 o'clock Eastern, 5 Pacific, [53:15] live on DAZN and DAZN on Prime Video. We're going to face these guys off, [53:20] take some pictures, and we'll see you guys in the desert.