Benavidez labels fight against Plant as the most important of his career

It is no mystery that David Benavidez and Caleb Plant are not fond of one another.

Not now and never will. Benavidez has been relatively low-key prior to the biggest fight of his career, while Plant appears to be fighting everyone on social media in the immediate run-up to the interim WBC super middleweight championship fight. That doesn't imply that the Arizonan has lost all motivation or desire to take revenge on Plant.

“Emotion, especially anger, is a great motivator to train,” Benavidez said. “The people who are telling me not to be emotional, haven’t laced up the gloves before. I couldn’t be more ready. I leave all my emotions outside of the ring when it’s time to go to work.”

It's a fascinating development because ever since the fight was announced, many people have held the opinion that even though Benavidez is the bigger, stronger force, someone whose power and pressure will lead him to victory, if the more technically adept Plant is to get his hand raised, it will be because he kept his composure and refused to let his emotions get the better of him on fight night.

Benavidez is seemingly the one keeping his eye on the task at hand before the fight that may finally see him fulfil his potential.

“This is the most important fight of my career to this date,” Benavidez said. “I feel like after this fight, I’m going to pass that threshold and get to where I want to be. Every fighter has one of these grudge matches that brings the best out of them. I don’t like Caleb at all, but I want to thank him for bringing the animal out of me. I’m more motivated than ever.”

Perhaps this is what the 26-year-old needed to cross that barrier and establish himself as the star that many had predicted he would be years ago, as well as to earn the opportunity to face Mexican superstar "Canelo" Alvarez. The Benavidez family has long complained that they are being sidelined, but let's face it: Benavidez has previously failed to make weight for a world title fight, had a legal dispute with his promoters, Sampson Boxing and Top Rank, and he recently tested positive for cocaine. To put it another way, could Benavidez be allowed to oversee the entirety of a pay-per-view event, from signing to fight night? But now that he is older and presumably wiser, he is aware that each action he takes will put him one step closer to his goals.

“On March 25,” Benavidez said. “I guarantee that I’m knocking Caleb Plant out before round six.”