David Benavidez has made it clear he’d welcome a future clash with heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk - just not anytime soon. While saying he’d never flat-out refuse the fight, Benavidez admits he wants “five or six years” to gain more experience before stepping in against the former undisputed cruiserweight star. “I have tremendous respect for Usyk,” Benavidez told reporters. “If I have the opportunity to share the ring with him, I won’t say no, but it’d probably be the hardest fight of my life.”
Benavidez, 27, is preparing to face WBA “regular” light heavyweight champion David Morrell on February 22 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Despite moving up in weight, Benavidez still believes Morrell poses a serious threat: “I’ve been training for almost four and a half months. I’m not leaving any stone unturned. I’m going in there to hurt David Morrell, make him eat his words, and knock him out.”
Watch Benavidez vs. Gvozdyk highlights: Watch
Critics question why Benavidez feels he must wait half a decade to challenge Usyk. Some also point out that the Ukrainian champion, currently 37, would be past 40 by then, potentially removing much of the intrigue from a Benavidez-Usyk showdown. Nonetheless, Benavidez insists that with Usyk’s skill set, he’d need far more seasoning to make the fight competitive.
In the meantime, fans will see if Benavidez can handle the power and skills of Morrell. The Cuban has left previous opponents like Sena Agbeko and Yamaguchi Falcão in a heap, leading some to believe he has the pop to stop Benavidez. For his part, Benavidez is promising fireworks: “I’m 100% ready. I’m very motivated for this fight, and I’m going for the knockout.”
The outcome could determine just how soon - or far off - any talk of a fight with Usyk really is.
Get to know about Benavidez vs. Morell bout here.
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