By Miguel Rivera

Sampson Lewkowicz, promoter for WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez, says there are ongoing negotiations to have a rematch with Ronald Gavril in January 2018.

Last month, Benavidez became boxing’s youngest world champion – and the youngest ever in the super middleweight division – with a split decision victory over Gavril at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The belt became vacant earlier this year when Badou Jack made a decision to move up to the light heavyweight division.

Benavidez (19-0, 17 KOs) handed Gavril (18-2, 14 KOs) the second defeat of his pro career. One scorecard had Gavril winning 116-111, with Benavidez winning on the other two scorecards, 116-111 and 117-111.

Benavidez stared strong on the contest, but Gavril would rally when the contest entered the middle rounds and then the contest swung back and forth.

But there was a key moment which took place. The 31-year-old Romanian Gavril, who trains at Mayweather’s Gym in Las Vegas by Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, sent Benavidez to the canvas with a left hook with just 50 seconds left in the wild 12th and final round.

After the fight, Gavril and his promoter, Floyd Mayweather, complained of a robbery.

“I feel I won the fight. I dominated the pace. I can’t say anything else other than it was up to the judges,” Gavril said. “The only thing I can do is to ask for a rematch.”

There is now some growing steam to see a unification between Benavidez and WBO world champion Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez.

Lewkowicz likes the idea of that fight, but he believes the record should be set straight with a Gavril rematch.

"For the moment I do not see the feasibility of the unification of Benavidez and Ramírez, because the rematch is being negotiated with Gavril.. since it was a split decision and some people think that these things should be clarified first," said Lewkowicz to ESPN Deportes.