Our friends at Fight Hub TV were able to catch up with Bernard Hopkins to discuss the recently announced fight between David Benavidez and Caleb Plant. With Hopkins using his experience to break down the fight, he explains why he thinks this is a bad style matchup for Benavidez and why we could likely see Plant win this fight much easier than expected. Check out some excerpts of what Hopkins had to say below.
Hopkins on who he likes to win the Benavidez vs Plant fight
“I like Plant. Not only (do) I like his experience and how he comes to fight, but I also thinks he has a style and I think the opportunity right now. He might not be the most talented out of the two of them, but I think he has the work ethic, blue collar type mentality. I just think he wins the fight and I think he shocks everybody and wins it. Not easy, but he’s not going to have as much difficulty as people are predicting.
“I think this is going to be one of those upsets — if they want to call it that — where people are surprised about. I like (Plant) to win.”
On what he sees in Plant that gives him the edge
“I see consistency and he I believe he know that you don’t get too many chances like that and he had a few, and I don’t think he gonna pass up something like that. I think that he’s more hungry to win. And it ain’t just about what’s been going on between the back-and-forth and all that, because you can read two ways into that. But one way we know is they promoting (the fight).
“Past that, I just believe (Plant) has the better grit, I believe he wants it more, and when he fights the fight he’s been fighting lately, I don’t think it’s going to be as difficult as we think it’s going to be. But it will be a decision fight unless someone get cut with a cut. But other than that I think it’ll go to the distance and it’ll be a hard fight. Both fighters will spend one or two fights of their careers come that night, that fight.”
On many people expecting Benavidez to stop Plant
“The bad blood is true, but I just think these taller, longer arms — I think Plant’s style is going to take that away because Plant likes and loves to fight the way he likes to fight. And I don’t think that’s going to be changed in this fight. I don’t think that’s going to be changed. I think it’s going to be a fight more of will than heart. I think it’s going to be the will that wins this fight.”
On how he rates Benavidez as a fighter
“I think he’s an excellent fighter. I just think this fight is a bad matchup for him. He might fire the matchmaker after this fight.
“I just think if you look at his style and pay attention to where he started and where he’s at you would think he’s a boogeyman based on the lack of expectations of what he became. I think, right now, he lived up to the potential that they thought then that he has now...but I just think he’s been who he’s been, just now he’s showing it even more.”
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