Boxing

Caleb Plant Rips Edgar Berlanga For Missing Weight

Caleb Plant didn't hold back on Edgar Berlanga after he missed weight for his fight against Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz

Nathaniel Marrero

Caleb Plant (left) after stopping Trevor McCumby (right) in the 8th round.
Caleb Plant (left) after stopping Trevor McCumby (right) in the 8th round. / IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Edgar Berlanga has constantly mentioned Caleb Plant as one of the possible opponents for his next fight, should he get past Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz on Saturday.

Unfortunately for Berlanga, Plant didn't need to wait for an agreement to a bout for him to fire shots at "The Chosen One."

Berlanga weighed in at 169.6 pounds, putting him 1.6 pounds overweight for his 10-round bout vs. Gonzalez-Ortiz on Saturday at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, FL in the co-feature for Austin "Ammo" Williams vs. Patrice "Vicious" Volny. The WBO NABO super middleweight title will only be on the line for Gonzalez-Ortiz after he stepped on the scale under the 168-pound limit at 167.4 pounds.

Edgar Berlanga (left) and Eddie Hearn (right).
Edgar Berlanga (left) and Eddie Hearn (right). / Photo by Melina Pizano/Matchroom

While a secondary title would do little for Berlanga's (22-1, 17 KOs) at this point in his career, missing weight isn't the best look for a fighter who is looking to face some of the top names at super middleweight, even if he's coming off of a spirited effort in a unanimous decision loss to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in September.

MORE: Edgar Berlanga Eyes Big Fights After Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz

Plant made numerous posts on X criticizing Berlanga for missing weight.

"I made weight for my pro debut when I made $1,500 and every fight since." Plant wrote. "You don’t train to the level of your opponent. A real champion doesn’t wait for the big moment to do what he’s supposed to do. He does it because that’s what he signed up for when he decided to be a pro fighter."

Berlanga has remained steadfast in the fact that he isn't looking past Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1, 16 KOs), who has won his last two fights by stoppage after a nearly 10-year hiatus from the sport. With what could potentially lie ahead, whether it's a bout with Plant, Jermall Charlo or Jaime Munguia, Berlanga knows the importance of looking good on Saurday night.

MORE: Austin Williams Reflects On Journey Ahead Of Fight vs Patrice Volny

"This is a small show for me," Berlanga said. "I just have to go out there and shine like a star, go out there and handle business. Perform like a superstar and get those big fights. I’m not overlooking this man; he's coming to win. He’s Puerto Rican, and he has that Puerto Rican blood in him. So, I know he’s coming to fight. I know he’s not going to run around the ring trying to survive. He’s gonna go out there and try to prove a point. So, I just wanted everybody to know that it’s going to be a bloodbath."

The main card for Williams vs. Volny begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.

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Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Nathaniel Marrero is a writer for the Boxing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Ravens On SI sites. He's also written for the Orlando Sentinel and MLB.com, and was a part of UCF's sports show, Hitting The Field. He attended UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023. Twitter/X: Nate_Marrero