Multiple-time world champion in the super middleweight division, David Benavidez has parents from different nationalities: his father is Mexican, and his mother is Ecuadorian‑Dominican.
David Benavidez, who recently retained his WBC title, is in the limelight after Jake Paul feared fighting the champ.
Jake Paul says Benavidez is one of the few fighters he wouldn’t face, underlining how feared the champ is.
Paul admitted Benavidez is on his list of boxers he wouldn’t step in the ring with.
The Mexican Monster David Benavidez Has Parents of Different Nationalities
Born on October 17, 1996, in Phoenix, Arizona, David Benavidez is the younger son of José Benavidez Sr. and Alma Benavidez.
His parents divorced when he was young, so many details about his mother, Alma, are not widely disclosed in the media.
David’s father, Jose Benavidez Sr., is Mexican, while his mother has Ecuadorian nationality.
His father, Jose, was a professional boxer himself and later became a trainer.
Jose Sr. played a major role in shaping David’s boxing career from a very young age, training him and his older brother rigorously.
David has often credited his father for his discipline and boxing success. During his time with Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry podcast, he credited his dad, saying;
I would not be in this position and I give him a thousand percent credit because I’ve tried to quit a lot of times and he never let me. Back then, my dad, he was a savage. He was just nothing but training. If I didn’t train, I would get disciplined. I was really scared of my dad for a long time, but that fear pushed me to train as hard as I could. I was like a soldier—I was more scared of my dad if I didn’t train than anything else. Just being with my dad, he gave me such a great work ethic. Sometimes you need to learn the hard way, especially in combat sports. I would rather get slapped by my dad and made to cry than get knocked out in the ring. That’s how I grew up. If I didn’t do something right, my dad would discipline me. But I told my dad all the time that I appreciate all the spankings he gave me when I was a little kid. They probably should have been a little more, because that turned me into who I am today.
While David credits his father for his success, Jose Benavidez Sr. still has the energy and boxing skills that he now shares with others.
David’s father currently runs a boxing gym called Benavidez Sports in Seattle, Washington, where he trains and mentors professional boxers as well as aspiring fighters.
He runs the gym alongside his wife, Daisy, David’s stepmother, whom he married after divorcing David’s biological mother.
In Case You Don’t Know
- David’s father, Jose Benavidez Sr., and his new wife, Daisy Delgado, have a daughter named Princess, born in 2012.
- David was the youngest WBC Super Middleweight Champion in history at age 20 in 2017.
- Known for his aggressive style, high KO rate, and ability to dominate multiple weight classes, David got the nickname“The Mexican Monster.”
