The four world titles at light heavyweight are split between them, and they’re ranked No. 5 (Benavidez) and No. 6 (Bivol) in The Ring’s pound-for-pound list. They both cemented their standing as two of boxing’s best with one-sided victories in their most recent fights.

If the fight is going to be the best version it could be, though, fellow light heavyweight Ben Whittaker believes it needs to happen sooner rather than later, given Benavidez last fought at cruiserweight.

“It’s a great fight for the division,” Whittaker told The Ring. “I don't know if it will happen because Benavidez looks big, man. He might be fighting for the WBC [title] at cruiserweight. If he's sitting around that weight for a while, it will be hard to come down, but it's a fight that a lot of people want to see.

“They've sparred. They've got history, and they’re fighters that are not scared to fight. It's all just politics or weight, this and that, but if it does happen, it'll be great to see.“

The WBC named Benavidez the mandatory challenger for cruiserweight titleholder Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) on May 29.

Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs), 29, jumped Bivol in The Ring's pound-for-pound list after he became a unified cruiserweight champion with a dominant sixth-round stoppage of Gilberto Ramirez on May 2 in Las Vegas. Before stopping Ramirez (48-2, 30 KOs), "The Mexican Monster," who holds the WBC light heavyweight title along with the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, said he’d like to move back down in weight to face Bivol (25-1, 12 KOs) or Artur Beterbiev in September in Las Vegas.

Bivol, 35, holds the Ring, IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight titles, fought for the first time in 15 months and won every round on the judges’ scorecards against IBF mandatory Michael Eifert on May 30. A trilogy bout against the 41-year-old Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) after they split their first two fights by majority decision is an option for the Russian.

Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs), 29, will make his U.S. debut against Richard Rivera (27-2, 20 KOs) on the undercard of Xander Zayas versus Jaron “Boots” Ennis at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on DAZN PPV and as part of the DAZN Ultimate plan on June 27. Whittaker, a 2020 Olympic silver medalist, has won consecutive fights by first-round knockout and hasn’t fought beyond the second round in his last three.

Whittaker is ranked No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the IBF and No. 13 by the WBO.

“No pressure because I put the pressure on myself to perform,” Whittaker said of how he feels ahead of his U.S. debut. “That's why I perform in the way I do, but for me, it’s just go out there and win, because you can perform and not win. So for me, wins are all that matter, and if you perform off the back of that, then that's a bonus.”