The 21-year-old champion from Phoenix dominated Romania's Gavril to claim a deserved win at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Benavidez had beaten Gavril, 31, last September by a split decision to claim the vacant crown in one of the best fights of 2017. An ill-tempered build-up to the rematch had seen Gavril vowing to right a wrong, claiming he had robbed of victory in the first fight. Benavidez, the youngest active champion in world boxing, said he had sought to exploit Gavril's aggressive tactics. "I want to be the best, so whoever they put in front of me, that's what I'm going to do," Benavidez said.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 18, 2018 05:48 UTC