David Benavidez and David Morrell are just hours away from putting their undefeated records on the line in a what promises to be a wildly entertaining light-heavyweight scrap.
Both men officially moved up from super-middleweight last year and won their debuts to set this up.
The build-up has been filled with bad blood and the stakes are high – not only does the winner cement himself as a true threat in this new weight class, but he walks away with both the WBC Interim belt, currently held by Benavidez, and the WBA Regular Title, in Morrell’s possession for now.
Speaking on his podcast, famed trainer turned analyst Atlas backed ‘El Monstruo,’ ‘The Mexican Monster,’ David Benavidez to get the one in an extremely significant fight.
“I’m going to take Benavidez. I’m saying that he’s going to win the fight, probably by decision. He’s going to be busier and he’s going to be tightened up, buttoned up, enough not to leave himself open to the power of the southpaw Morrell.
“He’s not going to get caught, and if he does, he won’t get caught [with] two big ones in a row. He’s got a good chin. He’ll survive it, but at the end of the day, his offence mixed in with enough defence, [will] get the job done. The busier man, Mr Benavidez, gets a decision. There it is. You like it? Good. You don’t? What are you gonna do?”
He also laid out a path to victory for Cuba’s Morrell.
“I think that Morrell, the chances are for him to win, he’s got to hurt Benavidez. See, I don’t think he’s going to outwork Benavidez. I think Benavidez’s work level [and] punch numbers if you will, are higher. I don’t think he’s getting outworked.
“But you can beat a guy without outworking him. You can hurt him. You can land the cleaner, more effective punches because that’s what the criteria with pro boxing is. Who lands the cleaner, more effective punches.
