.png)
In one of the most interesting super middleweight matches on the boxing calendar, Jermell Charlo is clear about his allegiance.
On March 25 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Showtime Pay-Per-View, two of the sport's top super middleweights, Caleb Plant of Ashland, Tennessee, and David Benavidez of Phoenix, Arizona, will square off in the arena for a 12-round, 168-pound fight. The fight pits two of the finest fighters in the division against one another in what should be an entertaining clash of styles: Plant's technical skill against Benavidez's volume-punching, come-forward approach.
The undisputed 154-pound champion Charlo recently chimed in on the contest, giving Plant the advantage and calling Benavidez "one-dimensional."
“Y’all already know, look, I’m rockin’ with Plant,” Charlo said in a video posted by StageFrontVIP. “Plant’s got the boxing skills, Benavidez [is] just one-dimensional.
“He gonna come forward and he gonna put a lot of pressure, but y’all know—hey, styles make fights, and so it’s gonna be a good one. But y’all know I’m rockin’ with Plant.”
Last month's press conference to announce Plant-Benavidez set the tone for their battle, with both competitors attempting to irritate one another. The 26-year-old Benavidez was much more outspoken and wasted no time in voicing his dislike for Plant, 30.
Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) recently defeated Anthony Dirrell with a single punch at Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, New York. This was his first fight since being stopped by Canelo Alvarez in the 11th round of their 168-pound undisputed title bout in November 2021 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
In his most recent fight, Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) defeated David Lemieux at Glendale, Arizona's Gila River Arena in three rounds.
After breaking his hand, Houston boxer Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) had to cancel his battle with Tim Tszyu of Australia. Later this year, the two are anticipated to square off. Tszyu's performance last weekend, a ninth-round stoppage of Tony Harrison inside nine rounds in his hometown of Sydney, gave him more impetus for that fight. The only combatant to have defeated Charlo is Harrison.