By: Sean Crose
David Benavidez is no doubt a good interview. Smart, insightful and personable, he’s a pleasure to listen to. Indeed, the hard hitting super middleweight recently gave a very interesting interview to Fight Hub TV in which he said he could move up in weight and defeat Canelo Alvarez’ conqueror Dmitry Bivol. “He’s very sharp,” Benavidez said of the lightweight titlist (who he’s previously sparred), “so I would definitely have to set a good game plan up for him.” Still, Benavidez believes he has what it takes to defeat the impressive Russian. “I know in my heart I can beat Bivol,” he said.
Benavides made it clear, though, that he’s completely focused on Caleb Plant at the moment, as the highly anticipated matchup between the two former world titlist is less than two months away. “Everything has been on point,” the fighter said. “We’ve been doing 12 round sparring sessions with the guys.” Benavides has also been working with strength and conditioning guru Memo Heredia, who he credits for helping improve his preparation. “I know he’s done a lot of great work with a lot of great fighters,” said Benavidez. “I let him do his job.” Benavidez added that he can feel the difference since working with Heredia.
“I feel faster and stronger than ever,” he said. “I think I just have a perfect team set up with now.” On the cusp of his first Pay Per View main event, Benavidez appears to be riding high. “I’ve been working countless hours in the gym,” he said of training for the Plant fight. “I feel like this is my moment.” Benavidez then pointed out that he’s working both in and out of the gym in order to be his best at the sound of the opening bell. “It’s the fighter’s job to watch film of the person he’s fighting,” he said in regard to studying footage of Plant in action. “This is why we’re here. We’re high-level fighters.”
Watching the interview, it becomes obvious that Benavidez has genuine respect for his opponent, even though there is obvious bad blood between himself and Plant. “Now it’s a little bit easier to dedicate yourself,” he said of being at the top of the fight game. “We have a lot of emotions with me and Caleb Plant.” Although no world title at stake, the Benavidez-Plant throwdown is notable, not only because a crack at the supermiddleweight title now held by Canelo is on the line, but also because the question of who is the better of these two fighters will finally be answered. For the record: Benavidez comes across in the interview as already knowing what that answer is.
“As a fighter, you just have to have that much confidence in yourself,” he said.
