David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant: Preview & Prediction

We are a little over 24 hours away from one of the year’s most anticipated fights. WBC interim super middleweight champion David Benavidez (26-0) faces a man who he has very little respect for, and that is former IBF super middleweight champ Caleb ‘Sweet Hands’ Plant (22-1). This fight has received a ton of press, and it’s due to the intensity of the rivalry these two fighters have for each other. Who will come out victorious on Saturday night? Let’s break this down on Big Fight Weekend.

Who's got the better resume, @Benavidez300 or @SweetHandsPlant??

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DAVID BENAVIDEZ “HE’S HONESTLY A PIECE OF SH*T”

That quote is just one of many that have been said by Benavidez this week when telling the media how he feels about Plant. There is no love lost, and Benavidez is really convincing when he expresses how badly he wants to beat Plant. The desire for this fight for him goes back years ago when Benavidez told me he “wanted to throw him a beating.” He was serious then, and he is even more serious now.

Don’t let the smile fool you, Benavidez is a beast in the ring. Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/TGB Promotions

How does Benavidez beat Plant? He has to avoid chasing Plant around a ring that is slightly larger than the average size. Cutting the ring off will be key, and when Benavidez is in range, touching Plant all over, whether on the body, shoulders, arms, and/or head. Benavidez has to wear Plant down and get him to a point where he stands in the pocket too long, allowing him to land those famous 5-10 punch combinations. If he can do that, I’m not sure Plant can withstand that type of pressure and volume punching. Things will certainly get interesting if the fight goes into the later rounds.

CALEB PLANT “I FEEL I’M THE BETTER BOXER”

When Plant said that during one of the media hits, I didn’t disagree with him. I say that as Plant can be an effective boxer and use up every bit of the ring to frustrate an opponent for twelve rounds. Speaking of frustration, Plant has a quiet way of getting under his opponent’s skin. Whether it’s buying a URL with Benavidez’s name on it to sell his own merchandise or ensuring the ring size is to his liking, Plant has a way of irritating his opponent, and it works. We will see on Saturday night if it works on Benavidez, as both men are motivated to prove a point.

Caleb Plant sporting the sinister smile. Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/TGB Promotions

What does Plant have to do to stop the Mexican Monster? That’s a tall order (literally), even if Plant, arguably, has the better resume. Plant has to be the boxer in there and utilize his feet and space to make it ugly. I don’t want to say it, but I will: Plant must stink up the fight to win. What do I mean by that? Plant must hold when the time is right and avoid staying in close too long. Benavidez has those long arms, so Plant has to remain outside of mid-range throughout the fight but jab his way in and force Benavidez to make a mistake out of frustration. Plant isn’t going to knock out Benavidez, but he does possess the tools to win an ugly decision.

DAVID BENAVIDEZ VS. CALEB PLANT PREDICTION

Although I can see this fight going twelve rounds, I don’t think it will. Benavidez is younger, stronger, and looks to have more desire to be great. He will wear Plant down with his pressure and punch stats, leading to a tenth-round TKO.

There are three ways you can purchase ($74.99) and watch this intriguing matchup: traditional PPV through your cable provider, Showtime App if you are a subscriber, and last but not least, PPV.com, where you can join a live chat of the fights while interacting with myself and Michael Woods.

You can follow Abe on Twitter & Instagram @abeg718 and subscribe to “The Boxing Rush Hour Show” podcast on all streaming platforms.