RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, November 20, 2025 – Today, in Boulevard City in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Ring Magazine’s no. 2-ranked David Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) and no. 4-ranked Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs), along with the co-main event’s Brian Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) and Devin Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) and accompanying undercard fighters, sat down for the final press conference ahead of Saturday night’s prestigious four 12-round fight card, “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions,” part of Riyadh Season. It all starts on Saturday, November 22 (9 p.m. ET), live worldwide exclusively on DAZN PPV.
In a card encompassing numerous fights that very well could headline cards elsewhere, “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” also features no. 9-ranked fighter Abdullah Mason (19-0, 17 KOs) and Sam Noakes (17-0, 15 KOs) battling for the vacant WBO Lightweight Title. Additionally, Ring Magazine’s no. 1-ranked Fernando Martinez (18-0, 9 KOs) is set to take on WBO Super Flyweight Champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs), while Vito Mielnicki Jr. (21-1, 12 KOs) and Samuel Nmomah (21-0, 5 KOs) duel in a 10-round bout for the WBO Global and Vacant WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Championships.
Hosted by the voice of DAZN Boxing, Todd Grisham, the fighters expressed their gratitude for being part of this exceptional card in Riyadh while looking ahead to Saturday night’s matchups.
Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say:
David Benavidez
On where Anthony Yarde ranks amongst his toughest opponents
“I’ve had my eye on Anthony Yarde for a long time. I know he’s a great fighter. He has a lot of heart, he has a lot of power, and the thing I like about him is no matter who he’s up against, he’s in there to make it a great fight. Me, I like to make every fight like I’m in a war. I like to give the people the fights they want to see. I had a great training camp. I’ve trained extremely hard and you know this fight is going to live up to the moment. Anthony Yarde, he’s trying to capture a World Title. I’m trying to capture all the titles and unify all the titles in the Light Heavyweight division so there’s a lot at stake here. This has been the hardest I’ve trained out of any of my fights, so I’m very excited. I’m going to go in there and give everyone a war. Boxing fans are really the ones who are going to win on Saturday night. From the top to the bottom, you have myself and Anthony Yarde, Brian Norman Jr. and Devin Haney, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, and Abdullah Mason. This card is stacked. It’s going to be a great night of boxing for everybody watching.”
On if he’s expecting a war or if he will dominate
“I’m looking to dominate but whatever happens I’m ready for. If it’s going to turn into war then I’m going to turn it into a war, but I’m definitely going to dominate.”
On if there is a chance that he is overlooking Anthony Yarde on Saturday night
“Definitely not. I’ve never overlooked anybody and that’s why I’m in the position where I’m at now. I’ve given Anthony [Yarde] all the respect he deserves and studied him for a long time. This has been the hardest I’ve trained out of any fight, so I’m extremely ready. I’m extremely ready for whatever he brings to the table and there will only be one man who gets to raise his hand…that man will be David Benavidez.”
On how much pressure he is feeling to knock out Anthony Yarde
“There’s no pressure. Honestly, I love what I do and I’m extremely ready for this moment. I just want it to be Saturday night already so we can go out there and show out. There’s no pressure at all.”
On his prediction for Saturday night
“I’m going in there to win the fight, whether I get the knockout or I get the decision, I’m looking to dominate, so I’m going to get the victory no matter what.”
Anthony Yarde
On his claims about putting David Benavidez to sleep
“I want to thank everyone here…Frank Warren and HE Turki Alalshikh. I was picked personally for this fight and we’re here again. I feel like this is the best version of me and I’ve always said I don’t want the easy route. I’ve always said I want to beat someone – that’s why I went to Russia and challenged [Sergey] Kovalev, I know the risk. Everyone told me ‘don’t go to Russia,’ and I said, ‘I’m going.’ Then I got [Artur] Beterbiev. Everyone said he’s a monster, ‘don’t fight this guy, he has 18 wins and 18 knockouts.’ I said, ‘give me him.’ I don’t care who it is. The better the fighter I’m fighting is a better reward for me. You’ve seen me get better each time. This occasion…I want everyone to tune in. I don’t even like to call this an undercard because every fight on this card is a main fight. Let’s make it happen and put on an excellent night of boxing. It’ll be one for the history books.”
On David Benavidez’s biggest vulnerabilities
“I’m not the type of person that talks for the sake of talking. Everyone can watch him [Benavidez] on TV and say, ‘he does this well,’ or ‘he’s not great at this.’ Personally, I’m only going to know what he’s about when I’m standing in front of him in the ring.”
On why his third shot at a World Title will be the one
“I keep hearing, ‘third time’s the charm,’ but I don’t really believe in luck. I feel like I’m a better fighter now, a bit more experienced. David [Benavidez] believes he’s going to have his hand raised, and as he should, but I believe the same. This is my time and my moment. Turki Alalshikh called me himself because he wanted me for this fight. Other fighters had their names in the hat, but he called me personally and said, ‘this fight, the way we fight…it’s going to be the clash of the titans…’ I’m excited for Saturday night and I hope everyone else is. I’m ready.”
On his final prediction ahead of Saturday night
“All I know is it’s going to be very exciting. I’m not the person who will go off with predictions, but I do think stylistically this fight will end in a knockout. I want my hand raised and I respect him [Benavidez] highly. I respect his resume, what he’s done in the ring, his highlight reels – they all motivate him. The better the fighter in front of me, the better version of me you’ll see. I’m excited.”
Devin Haney
On if he feels he should be the favorite with his career accomplishments
“This is a dream come true of mine. A dream come true to be fighting for another World Title. This is not my first rodeo so it won’t be anything different. I look to bring back the WBO title back home to my family and my team.”
On his strategy for Brian Norman Jr.
“We fight everybody differently. Like I said, this is not my first rodeo. I fought [Jose Carlos] Ramirez differently than I fought [Vasyl] Lomachenko. I fought him differently than Regis [Prograis], so the world has to see what gameplan my team and I have drawn up. I’m going to beat this guy.”
On calling Brian Norman Jr. a bum
“No, I think he’s a great fighter.”
On his final prediction for Saturday night
“Devin Haney. WBO Champion.”
Brian Norman Jr.
On what he says to those who believe he is not ready to deal with a fighter of Devin Haney’s caliber
“I truly feel like either you got it or you don’t. Of course he has done wonderful things and what he had going on but it’s time for another face to come up and do his own thing. That’s where Brian Norman Jr. steps in.”
On how he plans to force Devin Haney into exchanges with him
“It’s only as far as he can go. We’re in a box. It’s not like he can just run forever so no matter if he runs or if he stays there, no matter what, the boy is going to sleep.”
On how confident he is that he can get a decision win against Devin Haney or if he has to knock him out
“I can win by any means necessary. If I want it to go to the cards I can do that, if I want to knock him out I’m definitely going to do that anyway as is. It’s me stamping my name in the game.”
On what will happen Saturday night
“That boy is going to sleep.”
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez
On how hard it was to make the decision to be here instead of his wife and newborn son
“We knew the date was going to fall close to the fight date so we kind of just planned how things were going to go out and they planned exactly the way we expected, but that’s just more fuel to the fire, that’s more motivation to go out there and get the win. It’s all for him. My daughter and my son are what it’s all about, this is what I do it for. Come Saturday night I’m going to come out victorious and take these belts back to both of them.”
On Fernando “Puma” Martinez promising to push him harder than he’s ever been pushed
“Just tune in to DAZN on Saturday night you’ll see. You’ll see why Eddie Hearn just said what he said about me. I’m a special fighter and I’m going to go out there and prove that to everyone once again. This is going to be another fantastic performance from myself and I’m just ready to go out there and get the job done.”
On if he agrees this fight will be a war or a one-sided victory
“Honestly, this fight, it ends how I want. I can take it the distance or I can stand there and end the night early. Whatever I’m feeling that night, I’ll go out there and make it happen.”
On his official prediction for Saturday night
“I just know I’m going to win, my hand is going to be raised at the end of the night. I’m going to take that belt and take these belts back to my children and that’s that.”
Fernando Martinez
On his style and why he’s been so successful in his career
“I want to say thank you to Saudi Arabia for the opportunity. In terms of what I have, we’re very experienced and have fought against some big champions along the way. We’ve also been to the Olympics, so I feel like we’re completely prepared to win this fight on Saturday night”
On why legends of the sport couldn’t beat Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez
“Becasue he’s never faced a ‘Puma’ Martinez from Argentina and he’s never faced a ferocious ‘Puma’ from Argentina who’s going to eat up ‘Bam’ Rodriguez on Saturday night.”
On how big of a victory this will be for him and Argentina on Saturday night
“To be honest, it’s a massive fight for me and I think it will be totally historic for Argentina. There’s never been a fight in which an Argentinian has fought to unify so many belts in just one fight and I want to make my mark and be up there with the big names that Argentina has. I just want to be up there with the great champions and become a legend in Argentina.”
On his official prediction for Saturday night
“I win this fight by knockout.”
Sam Noakes
On why his style will give Abdullah Mason so many problems
“Everyone keeps saying my style is one dimensional and all that. I feel like from the outside it looks easy to deal with but he’ll find out Saturday night that it’s not going to be very easy to deal with.”
On why he isn’t receiving the respect he thinks he deserves as the underdog
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me being the underdog. All that means is that everyone betting on me is going to win a nice bit of money doesn’t it?”
On what the scenes will be like if he surpassed Jack Green to become the greatest athlete from Maidstone, Kent, England
“That’s news to me, I didn’t even know that. Bringing it back, I got a few people coming out here. It’s brilliant for me and obviously the fans and my hometown.”
On what his prediction is for Saturday night
“Sam Noakes by knockout.”
Abdullah Mason
On his long term goals in the sport of boxing
“I’m just here, I’m ready.”
On what he learned about himself after being knocked down and why he’s confident it won’t happen again Saturday night
“That was definitely revealing a lot for the better. It showed the resilience I had, it showed everything that was good, it showed the corner, it showed everything that a fighter needs in a ring. Most importantly, I’m ready to take it a step further this Saturday.”
On his prediction for Saturday night
“Boxing gets to gain its new favorite young talent and I’m going to be dominating the lightweight division from Saturday night on forward.”
Vito Mielniki Jr.
On how satisfied he is right now with his pro career
“My professional career is off to a hot start. I had a great amateur career as well. But to be a part of an event of this magnitude, to have this stage to showcase my talent, to showcase that I’m on another level than this guy, is exactly what I’m gonna do on Saturday night.”
On whether or not he’s impressed by what he’s seen from Samuel Nmomah
“He’s a good fighter, but nothing I haven’t seen before. I’m just excited. Excited to be on the platform and showcase my talent. He’ll see on Saturday night.”
On what kind of statement he’s looking to make to the boxing community
“I’m here to make a statement in the whole middleweight division. This is my third fight in the division, but my third straight undefeated opponent. I’m just ready to give him his first blemish.”
Samuel Nmomah
On what kind of fighter he is and what his gameplan is for Saturday night
“I want to thank everyone for coming and giving me this opportunity. Thank you to Turki Alalshikh and Ring Magazine. I don’t have a plan, I’m just here to do work. Vito, are you ready?”
On why Vito Mielnicki Jr. was the opponent he wanted for Saturday night
“When I received the opportunity for this fight, I was really excited to sign the contract because I was already looking ahead to facing Vito [Mielnicki Jr.]. Believe me, we’ll see on Saturday night.”
Carl Moretti, Vice President, Top Rank
On why he thinks Abdullah Mason is ready for “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions”
“I want to thank everybody for putting a great card together. With Sam Noakes and Abdullah Mason you have two contrasting styles: Sam only knows how to knock people out and come forward while Abdullah can box and punch at the same time. I think the only southpaw that Sam has ever fought was Vincenzo Finiello – a fellow countryman – and he stopped him in four [rounds]. Abdullah Mason is no Vincenzo Finiello, we know that. We wouldn’t put our guys in fights that we didn’t think we could win. Nowadays, anyone can fight for a title, but the goal is to win. On Saturday night, Top Rank will have the WBO Lightweight Champion in Abdullah Mason.”
On what makes Brian Norman Jr. so special
“Saturday night you’ll see why for sure but I really can’t wait for this show, I can’t wait for this fight, I can’t wait for social media. I’ve never seen so many experts in my life tell Devin [Haney] what to do and tell Brian [Norman Jr.] what to do. Let’s see what they say after the fight because they’re all going to be wrong. It’s the best fight in the welterweight division, whoever wins this I can’t wait to see who doesn’t call out the winner. It’s been a trip the whole time, but we’re very confident on what Brian Norman Jr. can do. Bill Haney’s been selling this fight from start to finish. He’s a trip man, he’s one of a kind. He kind of reminds me of the captain of the Titanic who’s bragging that he saw the iceberg. Well, Brian Norman Jr. is the iceberg and we know how that worked out for everybody, so we can’t wait for the bell to ring Saturday night.”
Frank Warren, Promoter, Queensberry
On Top Rank’s confidence in Abdullah Mason beating Sam Noakes on Saturday night
“It’s great to be here in the world’s capital of boxing – Riyadh – for the Riyadh season and Ring show. What do I think of those comments? We’re here with my man [Sam] and he’s undefeated. He is one of the best young fighters in the United Kingdom – everything that’s been asked of him he’s done. He’s won every title all the way through British Commonwealth, European, and now we’re at the World Title. Abdullah is a good fighter, but let me tell you, he’s going to have his hands full. He won’t have to go looking for him [Sam], not at all. It’s going to be a great, fantastic fight.”
On why he thinks Anthony Yarde gets the win here in Riyadh
“First of all, what a fantastic card this is. When you look at this main event and the next three world title fights they feature all undefeated fighters fighting each other. Anthony’s been with us since day one. When you look at where he’s come from – having just 12 amateur fights – to where he is today, he’s had two World Title fights. I thought he was definitely going to win one of them, but he’s learned along the way…this is a big moment in his career. He is in with David [Benavidez], who we respect, 30 [wins] and 0 [losses], but he’s in with a fighter who I promise you will give him the toughest fight he’s ever had. He believes in himself as we believe in him and I genuinely feel there could be an upset on Saturday night.”
Eddie Hearn, Chairman, Matchroom Sport
On if he’s surprised how good of a fighter Jesse Bam Rodriguez has become
“Thank you to Turki Alalshikh and everyone involved with Ring Magazine. It’s incredible to be back in Riyadh after what was a breathtaking event last week. Another Ring card at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – over 60,000 people on a very sweet night when Conor Benn beat Chris Eubank Jr. This is the Night of the Champions on Saturday night in Riyadh, but let’s be honest, this is the main champion here. I know he’s too humble to say it, but this is the guy [Jesse Bam Rodriguez]. This is everybody’s favorite fighter in boxing and every fighter on this card’s favorite fighter…he’s definitely one of our favorites, too. I think this is the only reigning Ring Magazine champion on this card and he’s done it all. The two men down there – Robert Garcia, his incredible trainer, and Kevin Rooney – they told me about this guy for years and at just one week’s notice he stepped up two divisions to win the World Title beating Carlos Cuadras and he never looked back. He stepped down to the Flyweight division to win the World Title – a unified [fight] against Sunny Edwards. He then went up against [Juan Francisco] Estrada, then unified against [Phumelela] Cafu, and now he’s attempting to unify again. Like I said, there’s some incredible fighters on this card, but this is the real pound-for-pound star. He’s already top five pound-for-pound. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is 25 years of age and it’s so good to see the younger weight classes get recognition because this guy has all the talent in the world. On a card that’s filled with incredible boxers, what you’re watching here is one of the greatest fighters of our generation. The fight against [Fernando] “Puma” Martinez is one of the best fights in the sport. Of course, we want to say congratulations to the birth of his son yesterday. To him, Robert Garcia and the whole team, I truly believe this man is the future pound-for-pound star of the sport.”
ENDS
About Riyadh Season
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting activities, and other unique cultural events. Most recently, Riyadh Season 2024 reached a major milestone after the number of visitors for the year exceeded 20 million for the first time.
Riyadh Season has hosted a number of memorable boxing showdowns including the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the 21st Century between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, two undisputed light heavyweight title clashes between Artur Beterbiev and Dimitry Bivol, Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois in front of a record crowd at London’s Wembley Stadium and September’s blockbuster showdown between pound-for-pound great Canelo Álvarez and undefeated superstar Terence Crawford in Las Vegas.
About The Ring Magazine
Since its inception in 1922, The Ring Magazine has been the cornerstone of boxing journalism, earning it the title as ‘The Bible of Boxing.’ Today, The Ring is more than just a magazine – it’s a growing multimedia empire poised to redefine how the world experiences boxing and combat sports. The Ring is not just chronicling the history of boxing; it’s actively shaping its future. Whether through its digital platforms, community events, or innovative partnerships. The Ring is committed to making the sport more accessible, exciting and engaging for a global audience.
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