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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 28: David Benavidez (red/green trunks) reacts after defeating Anthony Dirrell (not in frame) after a corner stoppage in their WBC Super Middleweight Championship fight at Staples Center on September 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 28: David Benavidez (red/green trunks) reacts after defeating Anthony Dirrell (not in frame) after a corner stoppage in their WBC Super Middleweight Championship fight at Staples Center on September 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
The former WBC super-middleweight champ, David Benavidez, rolled out a cracking performance against Ronald Ellis. With this win, he made a huge statement and defended his undefeated stint in the sport. The fight went a distance, but ‘El Bandera Roja’ was too good for Ellis as he T/KOed ‘Akeem’ in round 11 of the fight.
The fight began well for Ellis as he began landing jabs right from round 1. The first round predominantly went in his favor. But as Benavidez felt that Ellis was taking control of the bout, he began his work right from round 2.
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The 24-year-old adopted an offensive approach after that and didn’t stop. From the second round, it was total domination from Benavidez as he continued landing exuberant hits on his opponent.
A relentless @Benavidez300 stops Ronald Ellis in round 11 to stay unbeaten and one step closer to a title bout. #BenavidezEllis pic.twitter.com/VYyWmtSXa5
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) March 14, 2021
Benavidez, who generally picks up pace in the late rounds of the fight, went over Ellis in the early rounds itself. By round 5, ‘El Bandera Roja’ showcased his intent and in round 6, he pulped Ellis by landing 43 punches on ‘Akeem’ to break his spirit and body.
Benavidez landed a staggering 50 punches in just 2 minutes of round 11 before fight was stopped. Benavidez landed career highs for total punches- 341 & power punches 289 vs. the game Ellis, who landed 8 jabs per round. @ShowtimeBoxing pic.twitter.com/SIBtlZ6ZTV
— CompuBox (@CompuBox) March 14, 2021
As per Compubox, Benavidez landed a career-high of 341 total strikes in this bout. In round 11, he landed approximately 50 punches on Ellis in just a couple of minutes. And that is when the referee intervened and stopped the contest to save Ellis from further damage.
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Is David Benavidez ready for a title shot?
The Arizona native proved his mettle tonight against a resilient contender. Ever since he got stripped of his WBC title in 2020, Benavidez was keen to reclaim it and vanquish any and everyone from his way.
Moreover, he’s inquisitive to touch gloves with the pound-for-pound king of boxing, Canelo Alvarez. But citing the current scenario, it seems Benavidez won’t directly get his hands on his long-time nemesis. He might have to take on one more fight to be able to challenge the Mexican boxer.
It’ll be interesting to see how he fares in his next fight. Also, with a gratifying win tonight, ‘El Bandera Roja’ will be thrilled to return to the squared circle soon.
How would you rate Benavidez’s performance on a scale of 1-10?
