David Benavidez wants to become the first boxer to knock out Jose Uzcategui when the two go against each other in the Jose Uzcategui vs. David Benavidez match at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on November 13. The Benavidez vs. Uzcategui match victor will be the WBC and IBF mandatory challenger to the victor of the undisputed match between Caleb Plant and Canelo Alvarez. The match was won by the latter. Benavidez thinks that he can get a shot at the title against the match-winner in Plant vs. Canelo. But he is not sure that it will happen. Recently, Canelo said that he wants to move up a weight class after he goes against Plant. So that is probably what is going to happen. Uzcategui could be a tough match from Benavidez if he opts to slug with him as he did in his previous match against Ronald Ellis.
Benavidez wants to be the roadblock to Uzcategui
During his press conference for the Benavidez vs. Uzcategui match, Benavidez said, "I am going to be the same fighter I always was, going in there looking for a knockout, ripping the body at a fast pace in an action-packed fight. This is my biggest fight to this day, and this is what the fans expect, so why would I go and change my style up. I want to make a statement. Nobody has ever stopped Uzcategui. It is going to be a hard task to do, but I am all up for it. That is what I am going to try and do. That is what he is going to be trying to do too. It is going to be a great fight. I am very excited, and I have been working extremely hard. Now it is an IBF and WBC title eliminator. I am going to go in there and do what I always do. I am always looking for a spectacular win and spectacular knockout.”
“I feel like this is the type of fighter I am, and this is the way I train as well. I put my heart and soul into a training camp, and I have been working extremely hard. Even if Canelo and Caleb Plant were not on the other side, my main objective is to go in there and give the fans the best possible fights available and give them a great stoppage. That has been my whole plan for this whole training camp. I know Uzcategui is a strong fighter, I know he is a powerful fighter, but he has never been stopped. He has never been stopped for a reason. So my main objective is to go in there and stop him. It is not going to be an easy task, but I feel like I am the best super middleweight in the division right now."
It will impress the fans and the boxing world if Benavidez does what he says in the Benavidez vs. Uzcategui match. This is because the latter has never been knocked out in any match he has played before. But it will not be a very big deal if Benavidez manages to defeat him. This is because Caleb Plant had already done it a few years ago, and he had managed to drop him a couple of times. In Uzcategui's next match after his loss to Plant, he was beaten by Lionel Thompson and dropped in the last match held several months later. With these defeats in the previous five matches, it is strange that Uzcategui has been given another chance to fight in a WBC/IBF eliminator match. Indeed, more boxers deserve to fight for that mandatory challenger position.
Winning the world championship is the aim for Benavidez
Benavidez said, "I just want to show everybody that if he is a brawler, I can brawl. If he is a boxer, I can box. So, I have everything it takes to become a champion again, and that is my main objective to get back my titles. Whomever I got to go through, it does not matter. I am going in there trying to knock everybody out, hopefully, after this fight. First things first, we got to take care of business on November 13th. I am very excited. Hopefully, it is going to be sold out because I have got all my people there. It is going to be a great performance. After it is all good, it is going to be against Canelo or Caleb Plant. I feel like, after this fight, I am going to be the champion again."
The great news for Benavidez is that he will soon get a shot at the title against one of the several belts available. Unfortunately for him, the titles that he fights for will probably have been vacated by the victor of the fight between Plant and Canelo on November 6.
Benavidez vs Uzcategui Stats
Full Fight Card
Conclusion
It will not mean as much for Benevidez to go for a vacant belt if he can get past Uzcategui. But it shows how much Plant and Canelo respect him. If they had an inkling that Benavidez was a soft touch, they would have gone against him long ago.