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With David Benavidez set for this weekend’s return against Ronald Ellis in a WBC super middleweight title eliminator airing on Showtime, Benavidez talks to reporters about his preparation and expectations for the fight. Check out what Benavidez had to say about the matchup below...
David Benavidez
“The thing about Ronald Ellis is that he moves around pretty good. He’s more of a boxer. I don’t see too much power, I don’t see too much speed. I’m prepared for a boxer, I’m prepared for a brawler. I’m not going to be extremely confident, but he should be very prepared for this fight because it’s a title eliminator. So I’m just going in there very cautious, and work how I work: jabs, uppercuts, body. Put pressure on him. It’s worked against everyone else, so I’m sure it’s going to work against Ronald Ellis as well.
“I’ve been preparing for this fight as if it was a world title fight. Whatever Ellis brings to the table come March 13 I’m going to be prepared for it. If he wants to bring pressure, if he wants to be a boxer and move around the ring, I’ll be ready for it. The way I’m feeling right now, I feel like it’s going to be an early stoppage. I feel great. I feel strong. I’m going in there to get an early stoppage.
“I’m not overlooking Ronald Ellis. I was looking for a big name and I didn’t really get that. But I give him the respect as a boxer and I prepared for him like he’s a world champion. I feel like I’m going to get a quick KO against Ellis.
“I’ve been very motivated and training extremely hard. I feel like this is the best training camp I’ve ever had. This is unchartered territory for me being on weight four days before. I had 13 weeks of camp so that’s more than enough time to get ready for whoever. If it’s Ellis, Canelo, (Jermall) Charlo, or whoever I’m in there against.
“The Charlo fight is the one that I want to make happen in September. Charlo has a lot to say about me and at the end of the day we are probably the best fighters in PBC and at SHOWTIME. So why not make it happen? On both my end and Charlo’s end. He doesn’t really have anyone else at 160 so it seems like a fight that should be fairly easy to make. I think Charlo makes the most sense because we both need a signature win to get to Canelo.
“Canelo is the big fish, and everyone wants the big fish. Whoever fights Canelo has to be at the pinnacle of their game. Without a doubt, Canelo is one of the best fighters today and I’m not taking anything away from him. But I feel like right now where I’m at in my life, I’m ready to accept a challenge like that. I just had a baby boy, and there’s no bigger motivation than that right now. I got youth on my side and I feel like I hit harder than Canelo and I have the speed too. All I need is to prove myself to the world and to the fans, and even to myself, that I’m the best. And I feel like I’m ready for that.
“I would love to get a fight with Caleb Plant. I think they’ve just been trying to give Plant the easy route so that they can prep him for a Canelo fight. They’re waiting to cash him out. He’s been getting back-to-back really easy fights. Even after he loses to Canelo, because I don’t think he can beat him, I would still love to get in the ring with him. Me and him still have a lot of unsettled business. I don’t like him at all. He thinks he’s the second coming of Mayweather and nobody is better than him but he hasn’t proved himself at all. He’s had no hard competition. Everybody he’s fought has been way over the hill and have all been beaten. If he really wants to prove himself as the champion, the only way he can prove himself is by fighting me.”