David Benavidez vs David Morrell Jr: Undefeated champions collide in Las Vegas

David Benavidez vs David Morrell Jr full fight card: 

• David Benavidez vs David Morrell Jr - (WBA regular and WBC interim light heavyweight titles)
• Brandon Figueroa vs Stephen Fulton - (WBC featherweight title)
• Isaac Cruz vs Angel Fierro - (light welterweight)
• Jesus Ramos vs Jeison Rosario (super middleweight)
• Mirco Cuello vs Christian Olivo (WBA interim featherweight title)

One of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters will face a rising star of the game as David “El Monstruo” Benavidez faces off against David Morrell Jr in a light heavyweight title unification battle at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Benavidez will put his WBC interim title on the line, while Morrell Jr will put up his WBA (regular) title as they battle for unified champion status. But the incentive for the winner raises the stakes even more, whoever triumphs is likely to get a shot at undisputed greatness against the winner of the upcoming rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

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But who’ll emerge from Sin City with the hot hand, and an opportunity at the undisputed crown? 

Tale of the tape: David Benavidez vs David Morrell Jr.

David Benavidez: Can ‘El Monstruo’ secure win number 30?

Benavidez will face an opponent who won’t back down easily, but he knows he has a proven ability to break down stubborn opposition and emerge victorious. 

‘El Monstruo’ has a tough, attritional fighting style that makes life increasingly more difficult to live with the longer the fight goes on. That fact is illustrated by Benavidez’s record – five of his last six stoppage wins have come in the sixth round or later.

The American went the distance last time out against Oleksandr Gvozdyk to capture the WBC interim light heavyweight crown as he became a two-division world champion. Now with that experience in the higher weight class banked and processed, he’ll be keen to show an even stronger performance with a finish of Morrell on Saturday night.

David Morrell Jr: Can Cuban phenom claim career-best win?

It must feel somewhat unusual for Morrell to be heading into a fight with a perfect record and an excellent knockout rate, but still be considered the underdog. But that’s the hand the Cuban has been dealt this week in Vegas.

Much of the talk this week has been about what’s at stake for the winner, and some are already getting excited about the prospect of Benavidez challenging for undisputed gold later this year. The question is how much is all of this talk affecting Morrell?

While the majority believe the fight is a tough, competitive bout, the prevailing view seems to be that Benavidez has the edge. Can Morrell make that leap and prove the experts wrong with a career-defining performance?

David Benavidez vs David Morrell Jr: The key factors

Whenever two undefeated fighters go head-to-head, there’s always a great unknown, but in the case of this matchup, the smart play is to side with the man with the more impressive body of work.

With almost three times as many fights, and wins, as Morrell, Benavidez has significantly more ring time, against more opponents, and he’s demolished almost every one of them en route to a spotless 29-0 record. While Morrell’s record is also perfect, his 11-0 slate suggests that he hasn’t been tested as significantly.

The matchup will ultimately depend on who can break down the other, and in that regard, Benavidez’s fighting style could prove crucial. 

The American’s high pressure approach and heavy-handed combinations have proved too much for everyone he’s faced so far, and that power and pressure, teamed up with the experience that comes with 29 career fights, means he has the edge.

For Morrell to be the pick, his shorter resume would need to outshine Benavidez’s with better wins, scarier knockouts and a more destructive resume overall. But, while the Cuban’s record is super-impressive, it’s still eclipsed by Benavidez.

His best shot at victory is to disrupt Benavidez early and push the pace on the American, who is used to doing exactly that to his opponent. 

It could result in some phone-booth fighting as they stand toe to toe in a battle for the centre of the ring in the early rounds, but if Morrell can plant his feet and make his shots count, that’ll give him the best chance of success.

But Benavidez has shown that he’s more than happy to go into the trenches with anyone. While he isn’t the most mobile fighter at times, his sheer toughness and punch power has seen him run over all of his opponents so far, and I’m expecting his class, and his power, to shine through on fight night.

It wasn’t that long ago that Benavidez was pushing for a fight with Canelo Alvarez, and some pundits felt that he would have posed the toughest test for the Mexican superstar. Now, at light heavyweight, Benavidez is chasing a new goal and looks as dangerous as he is motivated.

FIRST’s top tip for David Benavidez vs David Morrell Jr.

In a bout between two unbeaten fighters, the odds are understandably slanted towards the fight going the distance. Benavidez has looked laser-focused throughout fight week and could be poised to hand Morrell the first loss, and stoppage defeat, of his career.

In a fight that could set up a clash with the winner of the upcoming Beterbiev-Bivol rematch, Benavidez will be intent on making a statement to separate himself from the pack and make his case undeniable. 

The almost 3/1 odds available on Benavidez look like strong value for a fighter with a formidable knockout record.

PICK: DAVID BENAVIDEZ BY KO, TKO OR DQ – 29/10 (BetMGM)

Extra tips

If the fight does produce a stoppage win for Benavidez, as we’re tipping above, the chances are it’ll come later in the fight, after ‘El Monstruo’ has broken down Morrell through the middle rounds of the contest. 

With that in mind, there’s plenty of value to be had in the round betting markets at BetMGM. Looking at the options available, the 13/1 odds available for a Benavidez win in rounds 10-12 could be a value play. 

All odds correct at the time of writing.