Benavidez targets Beterbiev and Bivol after Morrell

David Benavidez is already planning his technique to defeat the winner of the February 22 rematch between undisputed mild heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

“The Mexican Monster” Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) says he’ll use a distinct recreation plan for every of them and can field Beterbiev (21-0, 21 KOs) and put strain towards Bivol.

Morrell then glory

It is nonetheless too early for Benavidez to consider going through the winner of this struggle as he nonetheless has to defeat “common” WBA mild heavyweight champion David Morrell on February 1. It is a 50-50 struggle in most individuals’s minds, however not Benavidez’s.

He’s extremely assured that he can have no downside beating Morrell, so he lastly accepts the struggle after seeing the Cuban work towards Radivoje Kalajdzic on August 3.

Few give Benavidez an opportunity of beating Bivol or Beterbiev, but it surely’s no shock that he thinks he can beat them. It is his character. Like many fighters who’ve been fastidiously matched, Benavidez believes he can beat anybody, which might be his undoing when he faces Morrell.

His matchmakers on the PBC stored Benavidez properly protected, and he fought in a division under his measurement till his final struggle. It helped him.

“My essential aim is to beat David Morrell after which go up and face the subsequent man,” David Benavidez instructed Sean Zittel about his quick aim for February 1st. I believe we had been ranked #1 [with the WBC] on web site to face the winner of Beterbiev-Bivol. So if that is it, I am 100% prepared for that too.

“By way of these massive fights, I’m able to construct my model an increasing number of. It’s kind of like Canelo’s profession. It was rising and pounding tougher [named] fighters. If I do not perceive this Canelo struggle, I actually do not care. I am actually pleased with my profession and the alternatives obtainable to me. Now this simply proves that I am the perfect on this planet, no matter weight class.

“I simply really feel unhealthy for folks as a result of they’re lacking out on an amazing struggle,” Benavidez stated, nonetheless speaking in regards to the Canelo struggle. “That’s what we’re right here for, to present folks good fights.”

Benavidez ought to have forgotten about Canelo years in the past as a result of he made it clear to everybody that he would by no means get the prospect. If Benavidez had given up a very long time in the past, he might have moved as much as mild heavyweight or cruiserweight and presumably received a world title by now.

Beterbiev Field, Bivol Strain

“They’re the iron champions on this weight class,” Benavidez stated of Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. “Beterbiev is the strongest one to return. He is like a tank attempting to knock you out, however there’s room for him to be dispatched. Actually, I assumed Bivol beat him. I assumed Bivol beat him and I assumed Bivol beat him convincingly. That is how one can beat this fighter.

Benavidez will not be an expert choose, so his opinion that Bivol deserves victory over Beterbiev of their October 12 conflict is unnecessary. Nevertheless, he stated earlier than their struggle that he thought Bivol was going to win, so he already had a bias. Beterbiev received beneath strain and the judges have already made their choice.

Bivol is the perfect boxer within the 175-pound division, however he was unable to dispatch Beterbiev. If Bivol could not do it, a quantity puncher like Benavidez would not both. He isn’t an amazing boxer and he will not be capable to change the way in which he fights after 11 years in skilled soccer. Benavidez is the completed product. If he fights Beterbiev, he’ll use the identical high-output model he is all the time had, and that will be a catastrophe for him. He could be one other Callum Smith however with out energy.

“With Bivol, it’s important to put extra strain on him and throw much more mixtures,” Benavidez stated. “You may’t simply throw left hooks and proper hooks. You need to be actually good along with your mixtures. So in each instances it’s important to struggle in two alternative ways, however whichever one we struggle we’ve to be 100% prepared. I’d positively be prepared and it will be a tremendous struggle with these two guys.

Benavidez fought with Bivol earlier than, and was rumored to have gotten the higher of him. Nevertheless, if this had been true, it will be a struggle, not a struggle. Bivol could be an issue for Benavidez in an actual struggle, the place he would not be coaching like he did in sparring periods.

Why Morrell now?

“That is why I took this struggle [David Morrell] no downside as a result of after I was ready for this [to fight the Beterbiev vs. Bivol winner]I assumed as a result of I used to be the #1 candidate. [with WBC]as a result of that struggle ended the way in which it did, it’s important to give him the respect he deserves in a rematch,” Benavidez stated.

It wasn’t till David Morrell regarded lower than spectacular in his final struggle towards Radivoje Kalajdzic on August 3 that Benavidez wished to struggle him. Earlier than this struggle, Benavidez and his father, Jose Benavidez Sr., wished nothing to do with Morrell. They most likely noticed his weaknesses and determined, “I believe he is excellent.”

“So, they gave me a number of different names, and I used to be like, ‘Man, I do not care about any of those fights.’ I would like the massive fights, and if we will not make somebody massive, we will make an enormous struggle with an individual who has a belt who talks a variety of shit,'” Benavidez stated of why he selected to struggle Morrell.

Benavidez’s timing of preventing Morrell is suspect. This comes instantly after his first unimpressive efficiency in his five-year profession. Benavidez did not increase his hand to struggle Morrell when he was destroying Sena Agbeko or Yamaguchi Falcao.

“In order that’s sort of the route we took.” This can be a struggle folks have wished to observe for a very long time. So, I believe that is the perfect time to make the struggle between me and Morrell occur. It is simply in my mentality that I am able to struggle towards the perfect. I do not care who it’s. I’m 100% able to struggle whoever, proper,” Benavidez stated.