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Mild heavyweight contender Radivoje Kalajdzic says the important thing to David Morrell defeating David Benavidez is to remain “composed” through the first six to eight rounds of their headliner conflict at 175 this Saturday, February 1st on the T-Cellular Area in Las Vegas.
This Saturday, Benavidez vs. Morrell shall be proven reside on PBC on Prime Video PPV. Morrell’s WBA ‘regular’ mild heavyweight title shall be at stake, and Benavidez could have his WBC interim 175-lb belt on the road. The World Boxing Council has already decided the Benavidez-Morrell winner shall be obligatory for Artur Beterbiev’s belt.
Radivoje fought Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) on August third in Los Angeles final yr and is aware of what he can do in opposition to Benavidez. He notes that Benavidez has been preventing “smaller guys” his complete profession, campaigning at 168 moderately than 175. That’s why ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez has been labeled a ‘weight bully,’ like different fighters of that ilk, he’s achieved properly. Nevertheless, when Benavidez lastly moved to 175, he appeared bang common.
When Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) moved up in opposition to 37-year-old former WBC mild heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June fifteenth final yr, he wasn’t getting hit exhausting as a result of the previous champion wasn’t loading up on his pictures. He was pushing them.
On Saturday, this would be the first time in Benavidez’s 12-year profession that he’s dealing with a man his measurement who shall be hitting him exhausting. Radivoje is serious about seeing how Benavidez offers with Morrell’s measurement and energy.
The Serbian-born Radivojoe (29-3, 21 KOs) punches tougher than Benavidez, and Morrell took his energy properly in profitable a 12-round determination.
Morrell’s Technique
“If he can stay composed and stay calm during the first six to eight rounds, because Benavidez, all he has and all he does is pressure. He eventually will slow down. So, stay composed, pick your shots, and move because he can box,” mentioned Radivoje Kalajdzic to YSM Sports activities Media about how David Morrell can defeat David Benavidez this Saturday night time on February 1st.
“Don’t be the aggressor. I think he can pull it off, but it’s going to be a close fight overall,” Radivoje continued concerning the Benavidez vs. Morrell contest.
“David Benavidez has been fighting smaller guys his whole career. He’s always been the bigger guy, then when he fought [Oleksandr] Gvozdyk, Gvozdyk wasn’t really even punching that hard. So, I don’t know. This will be the first test. We’ll see how will Benavidez get hurt, or will he just walk Morrell down?” mentioned Radivoje.
Benavidez will attempt to stroll Morrell down as a result of that’s how he’s at all times fought and the model his father, Jose Benavidez Jr., teaches; nevertheless, as we noticed final Saturday night time with Jose Jr’s fighter, Omar Salcido, in his one-sided loss to Cuban Andy Cruz, that high-pressure model doesn’t work in opposition to gifted fighters.
Benavidez will get hit lots by Morrell, and he may get a boxing lesson from him on this contest. The way in which to battle Benavidez is strictly how Cruz defeated Salcido: Jab, potshot, transfer, and assault.
Cruz waited till the second half to start out pressuring Salcido, and it was one-sided. The Cuban Morrell can do the identical factor as a result of Benavidez is much more sloppy and wreckless than Salcido. Benavidez makes him appear like a grasp boxer compared.
Untested Waters
“This will be a big test for both of them. I don’t know. We’ll see. I don’t know how he [Benavidez] reacts to guys his size punching back. So, we’ll see,” mentioned Radivoje about how boxing followers will see how Benavidez reacts to battle the equally huge Morrell.
This shall be an fascinating check, exhibiting how properly Benavidez can maintain up in opposition to his first huge puncher in his 12-year profession. As Radivoje identified, Oleksandr Gvozdyk wasn’t punching that tough. He primarily was pushing his punches, trying like he was attempting to preserve power to maintain from gassing.
When Gvozdyk began loading up on his pictures late within the battle, he gave Benavidez huge issues and took management over the later rounds. By then, it was too for Gvozdyk, and he couldn’t pull out the victory as a result of he’d given away too many rounds by throwing with partial energy.
Within the twelfth, Gvozdyk harm Benavidez with a right-hand physique shot throw straight down the pipe. That punch knocked the wind out of Benavidez, as he threw no punches for the rest of the spherical after taking that shot to the bread basket.
