Roy Jones Jr Says Benavidez Looked Drained

Roy Jones Jr. believes Benavidez’s body type gives him advantages moving between divisions that he never had during his own career.

“The difference is, he walks around way heavier than I ever could have dreamed of walking around,” Roy said to Fight Spider. “When he losing weight to come down the weight, he not losing muscle. He losing fat. I lost muscle.”

Jones said Benavidez actually looked drawn physically at the cruiserweight limit despite fighting at the heaviest division of his career.

“I saw his face at the weigh-in,” Jones said. “At 200 pounds, he looks like a drain and sucked in at 200 pounds.”

The Hall of Famer believes that is why Benavidez may have an easier time moving between divisions than Jones did during his own career. Jones famously moved from light heavyweight to heavyweight to defeat John Ruiz in 2003 before struggling physically after dropping back down in weight.

“I never had touched that weight before,” Jones said while comparing himself to Benavidez.

Jones also believes Benavidez can eventually move to heavyweight if the right opportunities emerge later in his career.

“He already knows how it is to live as a heavyweight,” Jones said.

Some fans already felt Benavidez looked physically depleted during his final weigh-in for his 175-pound fight against Anthony Yarde. If Roy is correct that Benavidez appeared drained even at 200 pounds against Ramirez, returning to light heavyweight could become increasingly difficult physically.

That could become especially important if Benavidez returns to face Bivol at light heavyweight. Fighting a technically disciplined boxer like Bivol while depleted from a difficult weight cut would create a dangerous situation, even for a pressure fighter as naturally big as Benavidez.