Bolt upright! Benavidez and Plant are lightning rods

Even though the season is still Spring, both undefeated WBC interim super middleweight champion, David “El Monstruo Mexicano” Benavídez, and former world champion Caleb Plant, are aiming for Fall to come early this Saturday, with green turning to gold at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

This Thursday they were face to face and cheek to jowl, in what was the last press conference prior to the fight they will hold.
For all those who can heed each of these two, want to accomplish the crowning deed. Only one of them will emerge as the official challenger of the 168-pound division.

The undefeated 25-year-old Benavídez (26-0, 23 KOs) became the youngest 168-pound world champion in history at just 20 years old when he defeated Ronald Gavril via split decision for the vacant WBC title in 2017. Emerging from Phoenix, who now lives and trains in the Seattle area, Benavidez has established his place in the super middleweight division with knockout power in both hands and improving his in-ring performance with each fight.

Benavidez is riding a six-fight winning streak by knockout, most recently coming in the third round over former champion David Lemieux last May.
Plant (22-1, 13 KOs), has used his skill and fortitude to rise to the rank of world champion and, in his most recent fight, showed one punch power, notching one of the best knockouts of the year over Anthony Dirrell in the ninth.

Plant, 30, who was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and now lives in Las Vegas, won the IBF title by unanimous decision in a big fight over Jose Uzcategui in 2019. Plant dropped Uzcategui in the second and fourth rounds, achieving the championship victory.

He made three successful title defenses, defeating Mike Lee and Vincent Feigenbutz by TKO in addition to a unanimous decision victory over former champion Caleb Truax. He subsequently lost to Canelo Alvarez in November 2021, in a bout where all the 168-pound titles were up for grabs.

This event is part of the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of relations between Mexico and the United States, representing the multiple connections that both nations share.