David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant set for March 25 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas
One of the best-possible super middleweight fights has been finalized.
David Benavidez will meet Caleb Plant in a pay-per-view battle of former titleholders on March 25 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, it was announced Wednesday.
Benavidez and Plant are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 by the WBC. Plant is ranked in the Top 3 of all four major sanctioning bodies.
The showdown has been brewing for years as the two have exchanged trash talk on a regular basis.
“I can’t wait until they put me in the ring with him so I can beat his ass,” Benavídez said. “This is going to be a great night for boxing fans. I can’t wait to step in there and give everyone the beatdown they’re coming to see.”
Said Plant: “After I knocked out [Anthony] Dirrell, I made it clear I wanted to go after the biggest fight that could be made in the division. This is one of the most anticipated matchups and I’m here again, showing the world why I’m one of the biggest attractions in boxing.
“I feel sharp and on point. I’m looking forward to March 25, not only to give the fans what they’ve been waiting for, but to show who the better man is.”
Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) is a former two-time champion who is generally considered the second best 168-pounder, behind only undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. And many believe he could give the Mexican star trouble.
The 26-year-old native of Phoenix has stopped his last six opponents, including David Lemieux in three rounds last May.
He lost his belts after testing positive for cocaine and then failing to make weight for a title defense.
Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) lost his biggest fight, at 11th-round knockout against Alvarez in November 2011 that cost him his belt. The Tennessean rebounded to stop Dirrell with a single punch in the ninth round this past October.
Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc., is enthusiastic about the matchup.
“This is one of the biggest and potentially most explosive fights that can be made in boxing, not just in the super middleweight division,” he said. “It pits two fighters at the peak of their athletic primes, both with prodigious skill sets and contrasting styles, both of whom take great pride in the way they perform. It is an intriguing matchup and the outcome is impossible to predict.
“Add in their genuine and mutual dislike for one another and we have a volatile, 50-50 matchup and potential fight-of-the-year candidate.”