David Benavidez Tests Positive For Covid-19, Aug. 28 Matchup With Jose Uzacategui Postponed

David Benavidez’s path to becoming the WBC’s mandatory challenger for the super middleweight title has been halted.

Benavidez tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, forcing him to withdraw from his August 28 bout against Jose Uzacategui. The two were supposed to headline the tripleheader.

The bout was scheduled as a 12-round WBC elimination match. Benavidez, 24, has already been tapped as WBC’s No. 1 contender for its 168-pound champion, Canelo Alvarez.

At 20 years old, Benavidez became the youngest champion in division history via split decision over Ronald Gavril. But the 24-year-old stripped of the super middleweight championship twice by the WBC.

The WBC first took the title from Benavidez after he tested positive for cocaine in August 2018. He claimed it again after defeating Anthony Direll in the ninth round in September 2019, but he lost it again after he weighed nearly three pounds overweight in the following bout against Alexis Angulo.

Uzacategui (31-4, 26 KOs) is coming off two victories over Jaime Hernandez Lopez via TKO and Josue Obando via KO.

Reports say the fight between the boxers is postponed.