David Benavidez’s sparring partner Daniel Blancas is predicting that he’s going to stop former IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant with a body shot next Saturday night on March 25th in their much-anticipated fight on Showtime PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The lanky 6’3″, 21-year-old middleweight Blancas has done a lot of sparring with Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) during this camp, and he feels that he’s going to get to Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) by the eighth or ninth round to stop him.
Blancas says the reason it’s going to take that long for Benavidez to get the stoppage is that Plant will be moving around the ring, fighting defensively to keep from getting hit.
The pressure that Benavidez puts on Plant will eventually get to him in the second half of the fight, and that’s when the knockout will come, Blancas says.
It would be great for the fans if Plant stood and fought Benavidez rather than staying on his bike, but that’s not realistic. The way that Plant fought Anthony Dirrell last October is likely how he’ll be fighting Benavidez.
Against Dirrell, Plant was in constant motion, making it difficult for him to land his shots. In the ninth round, a frustrated Dirrell got reckless and ran into a left hook from Plant while chasing him and was knocked out cold.
“Just like his fights; they’re intense,” said Daniel Blancas to Fight Hub TV when asked how his sparring sessions are with David Benavidez. “He’s a great fighter, explosive, fast, a complete package.
“I know David is going to show everybody what he can do,” said Blancas about Benavidez’s fight next Saturday night against Caleb Plant on Showtime PPV in Las Vegas.
“It’s going to be a great fight. I’m a fan of boxing, and I can’t hate on Plant. He’s got some skills, but I just feel David is a superior boxer. He’s stronger, more explosive, has better footwork, everything.
“This is going to be a real big fight for him, and David has been working his a** off. He’s not going to leave anything up to the judges, and he’s coming hard.
“He’s so focused; he’s locked in. Every time he steps foot in the gym, he’s ready to go and put some work in. I can definitely tell that he has been. I think he does get the stoppage. It comes in round eight or nine, to be honest,” Blancas said when asked if Benavidez will stop Plant.
“After David catches his second wind, that’s where he really puts it on him. I think Plant is going to be on his back foot a lot, try and counter-punch him and move around the ring, but David’s pressure is too intense.
“So, he’s going to end up walking him down in the later rounds, and then once he finishes the body with his body punches, that’s where he puts him out. I can definitely tell you, his pressure is intense.
“I don’t know where he gets that stamina from. They call him ‘The Mexican Monster’ for a reason. They hurt, I can’t lie, but it’s just awesome being here,” said Blancas when asked if Benavidez’s body shots hurt.
“I feel like I’ve been learning a lot sparring with him and with his brother [Jose Benavidez] Junior. I think people don’t give him credit for his defense. They say he doesn’t have defense. That’s not true at all.
“He’s very flexible, he can move good, and he has good head and defense. Just wait for his fight. He’s going to demonstrate all his tools. Seeing and being in the ring is totally different.
