While he is confident that he’ll beat the WBC cruiserweight champion in a DAZN Pay-Per-View main event December 5 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, that doesn’t mean it’ll be a walk in the park.

“He poses some challenges,” Benavidez said during a press conference Wednesday in Los Angeles. “He has good combinations, he has a good jab, he just beat Jean Pascal in his last fight. I take nothing away from him. He’s a great fighter.”

Benavidez, The Ring’s No. 1 cruiserweight contender for Jai Opetaia’s title, will look to added Cieslak’s WBC belt to his WBA and WBO crowns. The former super middleweight champion and reigning WBC light heavyweight beltholder has enjoyed his time in his new weight class.

In his cruiserweight debut, the 29-year-old Phoenix native annihilated former unified champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, stopping him toward the end of six one-sided rounds May 2.

Cieslak, from Kozienice, Poland, hasn’t been seen since stopping Pascal in the fourth round of their bout in June 2025 to win the vacant WBC interim title. The sanctioning body eventually elevated him to full champion after stripping Noel Mikaelian of that belt.

Mikaelian was initially ordered to face Benavidez. He opted to fight Opetaia, who stopped him in the ninth round September 12.

Immediately after, Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) promised Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs) that he would fight him in May 2027, on Cinco De Mayo weekend in Las Vegas.

That bout could be on the table for Benavidez, but for now he wants to focus on Cieslak (28-2, 22 KOs). Although he’s well aware that he’s the heavy favorite, he promised to dish out the sort of beating that will leave everyone awestruck.

“I’m gonna make a statement,” Benavidez said, “and show everybody that I’m the best in the world.”