Keys To Victory For David Morrell vs. David Benavidez

Rarely does a fighter find themselves headlining a pay-per-view in the 12th fight of their career.

David Morrell isn't just headlining a PPV, he's doing so in one of the best fights that could be made in boxing when he faces David Benavidez on Saturday in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena.

Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) holds the regular WBA belt, while Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) is the interim WBC champion. The winner of this bout will be well-positioned to face the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 for all of the belts at light heavyweight.

MORE: David Benavidez And David Morrell Nearly Come To Blows At Fiery Press Conference

Benavidez vs. Morrell has everything one could hope for. It has turned into a bitter grudge match with both fighters needing to be kept away from each other in the buildup to the fight. Beyond that, it's a great stylistic matchup between two of the best fighters in the world.

"I want to end that myth that he's a monster," Morrell said via a translator at the pre-fight press conference on Thursday. "One hundred percent, everybody says they're afraid of him or whatever but I want to show I'm not afraid of him in the least...I'm 100 percent knocking out David Benavidez."

Here are three keys to victory for Morrell againt Benavidez.

David Morrell threw his belt at David Benavidez after a heated face-off 😳 #BenavidezMorrell

(via @OsvaryJ) pic.twitter.com/02JggIICFc
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) December 18, 2024

Set the tone early

A fast start will be imperative to Morrell's success against Benavidez.

Benavidez, 28, has shown he can pick up the pace and get better as the fight progresses. If the fight is close late, the tide turns in "The Mexican Monster's" favor.

Morrell, 27, needs to get out to an early lead to give himself some leeway as the fight enters the latter stages. Beyond that, he needs to land a big shot or two early to deter Benavidez and get him to fight more cautiously as opposed to his typical high-paced style.

If Morrell can land some big shots early that slow Benavidez down and allow him to get out to an early lead, he'll have the inside track on Saturday night.

MORE: David Morrell's Manager Believes David Benavidez Is 'Made To Order'

Stand your ground

Few are better at pushing the pace and breaking down their opponents late than Benavidez.

It certainly won't be in Morrell's best interest to try and match Benavidez's pace, but that doesn't mean he needs to constantly be on the move for 12 rounds. If anything, that's likely what Benavidez would want Morrell to do in hopes that he'll tire late and be easier to catch.

Morrell has the power and dynamic ability to hold his own in exchanges, though he certainly doesn't want to make a habit of doing that throughout the night. One can argue the Cuban southpaw is the stronger puncher of the two given how many opponents he's laid waste to with his straight left hand and right hook.

With that straight left hand and right hook, two weapons that can prove especially problematic for an orthodox fighter vs a southpaw, Morrell needs to use them to at least hold his ground or try to push Benavidez back at times. If Morrell can do that, it'll go a long way toward helping him get the biggest win of his career.

MORE: Teddy Atlas Predicts David Benavidez vs David Morrell Fight

Move your head

You're probably thinking yeah, you don't say. Of course, Morrell wants to move his head.

But Morrell leans heavily on blocking punches rather than moving his head, which was noticable in his last fight, a unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Radivoje Kalajdzic in his light heavyweight debut. That will more than likely be a problem against Benavidez.

Benavidez rarely throws one punch at a time. He punches in combinations and if Morrell tries to block them, odds are some of Benavidez's punches are going to get through. And if Benavidez is constantly throwing and splitting Morrell's guard, that damage will take its toll at some point.

Morrell doesn't need to completely revamp his defense, but he certainly needs to move his head more than he normally does. Not only will it help Morrell avoid big shots from Benavidez, but it can better set him up to land damaging counter shots with his straight left and right hook.

If Morrell can move his head and make Benavidez pay with big counterpunches, that can help slow the fight down to a pace that'll greatly benefit him.

Benavidez vs. Morrell will take place on Saturday in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena. The PPV portion of the card will begin at 8 p.m. ET. and can be streamed on Amazon Prime PPV or PPV.com.

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