Benavidez has vacated the WBC light heavyweight title, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed on Friday. 

Benavidez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, is due to fight Michal Cieslak for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title on December 5 in Phoenix, Arizona, in a yet-to-be-announced fight.

The WBC have since released a statement surrounding the developing situation.

"The World Boxing Council hereby confirms the WBC cruiserweight world championship fight between [interim] champion Michal Cieslak and challenger David Benavidez.

"David Benavidez has notified the WBC that he will continue his career in the cruiserweight division; however, he reserves the right to challenge for the WBC light heavyweight championship.

"Furthermore, the WBC confirms official sanctioning of the bout between Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson for the vacant WBC light heavyweight championship [for their November 7 rematch in Manchester, England].

"The WBC will review all weight categories during the upcoming 64th annual convention, to be held in Acapulco, Mexico, from November 8 to 13, and will rule on all eliminators, final eliminators, and mandatories." 

Prior to vacating the WBC light heavyweight title, "The Mexican Monster" Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs), ranked No. 5 on The Ring's pound-for-pound list, was boxing's only active male champion who simultaneously carried belts across two weight classes.

The 29-year-old Benavidez, a former 168-pound titleholder, fought just three times in the light heavyweight division during his recent run. Benavidez became the interim WBC 175-pound champion after beating Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June 2024 and retained the interim title against David Morrell in February 2025. 

Benavidez was elevated as the WBC's full champion in April 2025 when then undisputed champion Dmitry Bivol vacated the WBC title in the midst of an ordered fight against Benavidez. Benavidez defended the full 175-pound title against Anthony Yarde in November 2025.

Benavidez then went on to make his cruiserweight division debut on May 2 and stopped Gilberto Ramirez inside six rounds. 

On Thursday, Benavidez said on "Inside The Ring" that after facing Cieslak, he's open to fights against Bivol, Jai Opetaia, Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.