David Benavidez second from Arizona to earn $1 million-plus
LOS ANGELES – David Benavidez will collect $1 million for his fight tonight against Anthony Dirrell, making him only the second fighter from Arizona to ever get a seven-figure purse.
Michael Carbajal, a Hall of Fame junior flyweight from Phoenix, was the first. He got $1 million for a rematch loss to Humberto “Chiquita” Gonzalez in February 1994, also in Los Angeles at The Forum.
Carbajal was the first fighter in the lightest weight classes to get a $1 million payday.
Benavidez, a 22-year-old super middleweight also from Phoenix, goes into Saturday night’s bout on the Errol Spence-Shawn Porter card favored to beat Dirrell and take his 168-pound belt, which was stripped from Benavidez when he tested positive for cocaine last September.
According to contracts filed with the California State Athletic Commission, Dirrell will also collect $1 million.
Spence and Porter are guaranteed $2 million each. Their final paychecks could be bigger, depending on the numbers for the Fox Pay-Per-View telecast.