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It will be a blitzkrieg night at Michelob ULTRA Arena. David Benavidez plans to invade all-guns blazing. The WBC (interim) super middleweight title holder faces former two-division world champion Demetrius Andrade the day after tomorrow. It could be as much about defending the belt. But the Phoenix, Arizona-born heavy hitter would like to make a sweeping statement. Its reverberations can be heard loudly and clearly at particular corners.

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It’s critical for him to send Andrade packing on Saturday night. The final press conference of the Benavidez-Andrade card got over on Tuesday. While speaking with the media, the undefeated champion shared the kind of legacy he wanted to establish. He wanted to fight all the important fighters of the day. Then he revealed that he’s going to unleash a wrath that Andrade might not have seen before.

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Alright, Andrade, here I come!

A reporter asked ‘The Mexican Monster, “As another tough test, you’ll be his toughest test so far. Why do you feel like you’re the man to get rid of this boogeyman myth around him?” Benavidez replied, “I feel like he’s never seen nothing like me.” In explaining further, he mentioned how, at 160 pounds, he has been hurt by other boxers. Recently, Andrade fought Demond Nicholson, and it was apparent that the former could barely hurt him.

Then the super middleweight champion said, “He‘s been hurt at 160; a few times he had a fight with Demond Nicholson he didn’t look good; you know, he couldn’t even hurt Demond Nicholson.” So he reasons that middleweight Edgar Berlanga, a boxer for whom he’s never had much regard, had knocked down Nicholson quite a few times when they squared up. Benavidez continued, “…a person that got dropped four times by Berlanga, and I really don’t think too much of you know I mean um, of Berlanga.

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‘The Mexican Monster’ enters the fight on the back of a hugely successful campaign against Caleb Plant in March this year. The next few months saw him chase the undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, but to no avail. On a good note, though, he became the Mexican icon’s mandatory challenger.

Bit by bit, a crushing loss

So clearly, Demetrius Andrade is going to meet a foe seething with confidence. 35-year-old ‘Boo Boo’ might enjoy a slight edge over Benavidez in terms of experience. But considering his long break and the lackluster performance against Nicholson, he might as well have a self-introspection on facing an early stoppage specialist like Benavidez. Viewers could see ‘The Mexican Monster’ follow his no-quarter given approach in the ring. As it happened in the Plant fight, after the few initial rounds of testing, he might proceed with his standard tactic of pushing the opponent to ropes. Then he will punish the opponent by switching on the combinations.

Read More: David Benavidez Net Worth in 2023: How Much Did He Make From His Fights

Should David Benavidez win on Saturday night, do you think he should continue to chase Canelo Alvarez or go after David Morrell? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: David Benavidez’s Intense Training Routine for Demetrious Andrade Interim Title Fight

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Jaideep R Unnithan

3,775 Articles

Jaideep R. Unnithan is a Senior Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports and one of the division’s most trusted voices. Since joining in October 2022, he has brought a deep love for the sport into every story, whether reporting on live bouts with the ES LiveEvent Desk or unpacking the legacy of fighters from different eras as part of the features desk. Trained under EssentiallySports’ prestigious Journalistic Excellence Program, which is a specialized training initiative designed to refine top writers' skills through mentorship and advanced sports journalism techniques, Jaideep’s writing reflects a quiet authority shaped by two years of covering boxing’s flashpoints and fault lines. He is drawn to the warrior code of legends like Alexis Argüello and Marvin Hagler, while also staying attuned to the promise of rising stars like Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, David Benavidez, and Dmitry Bivol. Jaideep has a special fascination with Naoya Inoue’s old-school grit. Beyond writing, he reads widely, a habit that sharpens his storytelling, whether he’s tracing the rhythm of a classic fight or preparing his next ringside dispatch. Before joining EssentiallySports, Jaideep worked as a client manager and team manager in corporate roles, bringing strong organizational and communication skills to his journalistic career. He has also completed notable certifications, including a Non-Fiction Book Writing Workshop.

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Snigdhaa Jaiswal

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