The 29-year-old is steadily climbing the ranks.
Ben Whittaker is gearing up to face Conor Wallace in a 175lbs IBF final eliminator bout this weekend.
The winner will become the mandatory challenger for unified WBA, IBF and WBO champion Dmitry Bivol.
Whittaker believes victory over Wallace could establish him as the new face of the division.
The 29-year-old has made it clear he wants a shot at boxing’s biggest names.
He told the assembled media: “It’s a new age for the light-heavyweights.
“Dmitry Bivol’s probably got one or two fights left.
“Artur Beterbiev has probably got one fight, two fights left.
“David Benavidez is getting bigger and bigger, you know what I mean, so he’s probably gonna stay a cruiserweight or move up.
“So the doors are opening, and the door opens when I win Saturday.
“It’s a world title eliminator; it gets me number one, and it gets me in that position where I’ll be the new kid on the block.”
Benavidez appears to have moved on from 175lbs, but he remains firmly in Whittaker’s sights.
The Olympic silver medallist insists he would happily move up to cruiserweight to make the fight happen.
“Never say never, you should see the size of my dad, I’ll be a heavyweight soon as well,” Whittaker quipped.
“It’s just part of the game; he’s a great fighter.
“For his dad [Jose Benavidez Snr] to message me and to be mentioned in interviews, of course it’s a privilege, but at the end of the day, I’m my own person.
“I’m in my own lane, but I would like that fight down the road. So after this, it’s Burger King, baby!
“I want to make sure I dominate at my weight first. Light-heavyweight is my weight.
“I did what I did at the amateurs at light-heavyweight. I’ve stayed at light-heavyweight as a pro.
“I want to do everything I possibly can here, and then I would like to move up. I think it’d be good to go through the weights.”
Want to get the latest boxing news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
