# David Benavidez-Cieslak cruiserweight unification set for Dec. 5

Benavidez will put his WBA and WBO belts on the line against WBC titleholder Michal Cieslak; the event is slated for DAZN pay-per-view, while the venue has not been officially announced.

By The Signal Edition | Sports / Boxing
Published: 2026-10-22T18:36:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-22T18:36:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/david-benavidez-cieslak-unification-1nhvvr9
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/44878b61801aa04c645301ea026fc229.jpg (David Benavidez trades punches with Ronald Gavril during a super middleweight title fight.; credit: ESPN)

## Summary
- David Benavidez and Michal Cieslak are scheduled to meet Dec. 5 in a three-belt cruiserweight unification bout.
- Benavidez holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles; Cieslak is the WBC champion.
- The fight is set to air on DAZN pay-per-view, with Premier Boxing Champions involved in the promotion.
- The fighters and promotional announcements did not specify a venue. Phoenix is reported as a likely site, but remains unconfirmed.

## A new date, with three belts at stake

David Benavidez is set to face Poland’s Michal Cieslak on Dec. 5 in a cruiserweight title unification fight, bringing the WBA and WBO belts held by Benavidez together with Cieslak’s WBC championship. The bout is scheduled for DAZN pay-per-view, according to DAZN and boxing coverage published Thursday. The date is one week earlier than the previously discussed Dec. 12 slot, moving the event away from the same-weekend heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. [1](https://www.dazn.com/en-US/news/boxing/boxing-news-lomachenko-return-canelo-azteca-stadium-benavidez-kelly-ennis/vdcq5t6627s017zavr2tw7s6d) [2](https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/1nTUxb1K37ZWBTAVYIFmJG) [3](https://www.badlefthook.com/boxing-news/119743/david-benavidez-vs-michal-cieslak-unification-official-for-december-5th) [4](https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/10/david-benavidez-returns-to-ppv-against-michal-cieslak/)

The fight completes a circuitous title route. Benavidez, 32-0 with 26 knockouts, won the WBA and WBO cruiserweight championships with a sixth-round stoppage of Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in May. Cieslak, 28-2 with 22 knockouts, was elevated to the full WBC title after Noel Mikaelian was stripped of the belt. Cieslak had previously held interim status after stopping former champion Jean Pascal in 2025. Benavidez’s team had pursued a WBC title fight after Mikaelian’s title picture changed, opening the path to a three-belt contest. [5](https://presscenter.premierboxingchampions.com/press-releases/341066) [6](https://danrafael.substack.com/p/notebook-benavidez-preps-to-unify) [7](https://www.dazn.com/en-GB/news/boxing/david-benavidez-unification-opportunity-michal-cieslak-wbc-jai-opetaia/1c3lwgy9is8dh1d2rj2vlqogwt)

The matchup pairs a champion moving quickly through divisions with a long-time cruiserweight contender. Benavidez previously won world titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight before moving to 200 pounds; the Ramirez victory made him a unified champion in a third division. Cieslak’s résumé includes two losses in prior world-title challenges, to Ilunga Makabu and Lawrence Okolie, but he has rebuilt with a run of stoppage wins that included Pascal. The winner will hold three of boxing’s four principal cruiserweight belts, with the IBF title still outside this contest. [3](https://www.badlefthook.com/boxing-news/119743/david-benavidez-vs-michal-cieslak-unification-official-for-december-5th) [4](https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/10/david-benavidez-returns-to-ppv-against-michal-cieslak/) [6](https://danrafael.substack.com/p/notebook-benavidez-preps-to-unify)

## Phoenix is likely, but not confirmed

The date and broadcast are clearer than the location. Benavidez said in an interview with The Ring that he expected to fight Cieslak on Dec. 5 in Phoenix, his hometown, and described the Cieslak bout as the final fight under his current agreement with promoter Sampson Lewkowicz. But the parties’ announcement posts did not name a venue, and Bad Left Hook noted that Phoenix reports have not been confirmed by the event principals. The article therefore treats Phoenix as a possibility, not a booked site. [2](https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/1nTUxb1K37ZWBTAVYIFmJG) [3](https://www.badlefthook.com/boxing-news/119743/david-benavidez-vs-michal-cieslak-unification-official-for-december-5th) [4](https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/10/david-benavidez-returns-to-ppv-against-michal-cieslak/)

Benavidez has said he hopes to pursue a bout with Jai Opetaia after the Cieslak fight, potentially around Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2027. That remains a future target, not a signed or scheduled contest. For now, the immediate assignment is a mandatory-level challenge against a veteran challenger who brings a seven-fight knockout streak into the matchup. A win would give Benavidez three of the major cruiserweight belts and strengthen his position for a later undisputed-title opportunity. [2](https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/1nTUxb1K37ZWBTAVYIFmJG) [4](https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/10/david-benavidez-returns-to-ppv-against-michal-cieslak/) [6](https://danrafael.substack.com/p/notebook-benavidez-preps-to-unify)

## Reporting sources
1. [DAZN: Vasiliy Lomachenko comeback date and location revealed](https://www.dazn.com/en-US/news/boxing/boxing-news-lomachenko-return-canelo-azteca-stadium-benavidez-kelly-ennis/vdcq5t6627s017zavr2tw7s6d) (2026-10-03)
2. [The Ring: Benavidez respects Bivol as most difficult test, eyes Usyk, Fury, too](https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/1nTUxb1K37ZWBTAVYIFmJG) (2026-10-08)
3. [Bad Left Hook: David Benavidez vs Michal Cieslak unification official for December 5th](https://www.badlefthook.com/boxing-news/119743/david-benavidez-vs-michal-cieslak-unification-official-for-december-5th) (2026-10-22)
4. [Boxing News 24: David Benavidez Returns To PPV Against Michal Cieslak](https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/10/david-benavidez-returns-to-ppv-against-michal-cieslak/) (2026-10-22)
5. [Premier Boxing Champions: David Benavidez delivers spectacular sixth-round KO of ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez to become unified cruiserweight world champion](https://presscenter.premierboxingchampions.com/press-releases/341066) (2026-05-02)
6. [Dan Rafael / Fight Freaks Unite: Notebook: Benavidez preps to unify at 200, vacates 175 belts](https://danrafael.substack.com/p/notebook-benavidez-preps-to-unify) (2026-10-10)
7. [DAZN: Benavidez eyes unification opportunity as rival elevated to full title](https://www.dazn.com/en-GB/news/boxing/david-benavidez-unification-opportunity-michal-cieslak-wbc-jai-opetaia/1c3lwgy9is8dh1d2rj2vlqogwt) (2026-09-15)