Undefeated super middleweight contender David ‘El Bandera Roja’ Benavidez 26-0 (23) doesn’t believe former IBF 168-pound champion Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant 22-1 (13) deserves to be ranked amongst the elite of the division.
The 25-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona is expected to face Nashville’s Plant, 30, in the first quarter of 2023.
Plant is fresh off a ninth-round knockout of former WBC champion Anthony ‘The Dog’ Dirrell last month. Benavidez was last in action in May when he stopped former IBF champion David Lemieux in three frames.
“We got this fight with Caleb Plant, we signed it, and we’re still looking for the date. It’s a fight that I’ve wanted and a fight that a lot of fans wanted,” Benavidez said to FightHype.
“I don’t consider Caleb as one of the best. You know, he got a title before, but he’s up there for a reason. He was a world champion for a reason.”
Potential future fights for Benavidez include Mexican suoperstar and undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Avlarez, WBA ‘regular’ titleholder David Morrell Jr and former WBA junior middleweight and WBO middleweight beltholder Demetrius ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade 31-0 (19).
“There’s Boo Boo Andrade, there’s Canelo and there’s David Morrell,” Benavidez said. “He’s really, really good. There are a lot of great fights. I just want to make these fights, and may the best man win.
“I feel like I’m the best mentally and physically. I have more power and more speed. I’m ready to put everything on the line.
“It’s going to be a great fight for the sport of boxing. It was a fight that I was going to get because I couldn’t get anything else.”
There were initial discussions for Benavidez to face former world title challenger Jose Uzcategui 32-4 (27) before the Plant fight came up. Plant defeated Columbian Uzcategui in January 2019 by scores of 116-110, 115-111 and 116-110 after dropping in him twice, in the second and fourth rounds.
“I kind of feel my last five fights have been tune-up fights,” Benavidez said. “Al Haymon called me and asked me, ‘Do you want to take the Uzcategui fight, or do you want to go straight into the Caleb Plant fight?’ I said, ‘It’s a no-brainer. I want to go straight into the Caleb Plant fight.’
“I’ve been training for a while. My training camp hasn’t started, but I’ve been doing eight rounds of sparring. When this fight happens, I’m going to be more than ready.”
Benavidez has found support from former world champion turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya.
“I love the fight,” said De La Hoya to FightHubTV. “It’s a great fight, it’s a beautiful fight. Styles make fights. I’m a huge fan of Benavidez and Plant has a beautiful style but I’ll believe it when I see it.
“Well, just based off what Canelo did to Plant, I’ve always said that Benavidez is probably the top dog at 168. The fact that he has a relentless style, the fact that he’s young, it’s going to be one of those tactical fights from Plant.
“He has a beautiful style but ultimately, I think Benavidez can just keep on walking him down. The youth and the power and the strength is gonna ultimately win that fight. If Canelo knocked him out, then Benavidez will destroy him.”