David Benavidez is thisclose to heading back to the ring…

The 26-year-old Mexican-Ecuadorian-Dominican American professional boxer, a two-time WBC super middleweight champion, is finalizing a deal to fight Demetrius Andrade in a super middleweight bout this fall in Las Vegas.

The battle of former champions will be a pay-per-view event, according to ESPN sources.

Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) scored a career-best win in March, a unanimous-decision victory over Caleb Plant. Fighting out of Seattle, he’s ESPN‘s No. 2 super middleweight after undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez.

Benavidez lost his belt outside the ring on both occasions (positive test for cocaine before he later missed weight).

The volume puncher, known as “The Mexican Monster,” is hoping for a showdown with Alvarez next year. But first, Benavidez will face a slick boxer for the second consecutive fight when he meets Andrade.

A former champion at 154 and 160 pounds, Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) will finally land the big fight he’s sought at age 35. Long avoided for his defensive prowess and boxing skills, Andrade moved up to 168 pounds in January with a shutout decision win over journeyman Demond Nicholson.

Andrade, a Providence, R.I., native, has never faced an elite opponent. He’ll step up in class when he meets Benavidez in a matchup that could propel the winner to a showdown with Alvarez.

Andrade is ESPN’s No. 8 super middleweight.