David Benavidez vs. David Morrell Prediction on February 1, 2025

Match info

On Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 10 p.m. local time, David Benavidez and David Morrell, both undefeated, will square off in a major 12-round light heavyweight bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. With top division boxers Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol in the middle of their series, these other undefeated light heavyweights wisely decided they needed to do something impressive. So this bout between the couple regarded fighters for the title of interim WBC champion will determine who’ll take the belt of absolute champion.

American Benavidez, who’s 28 years old, is coming off a good victory over Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June, while Cuban Morrell’s most recent fight was a 12-round decision over Radivoje Kalajdzic in August. Both fighters, previously 168-pounders, recently moved up in weight, and this is their second title fight in this division. Benavidez is the favorite, according to the odds of the top new betting sites. Let’s break it down…

Meeting statistics

The current form of David Benavidez

After turning pro at the young age of 16, the Phoenix-based Benavidez fought in Mexico until he was old enough to compete in the United States. He rose quickly through the ranks, winning a title at 168 pounds by the age of 20. Due to certain issues outside the ring and trouble finding quality opponents, Benavidez’s career cooled off a little. With victories over Gvozdyk, Demetrius Andrade, and Caleb Plant in his last three bouts, he has seen his career take off, setting up what appears to be a titanic matchup with Morrell.

In our opinion, there’s a noticeable difference between the two boxer’s levels of opposition. Sure, not all the fighters Benavidez has defeated were “lethal”. Getting excellent battles hasn’t been simple for his team. His total resume isn’t that impressive for a guy who won the title at the age of 20 and is almost 30.

A pro since the age of 16, Benavidez is much smoother than most people realize. Before he was seasoned, he had already become a cunning pro. Because of the variety of his offense, opponents are unsure of what to look for. He doesn’t waste shots, but he can smother his opponents with offensive blows, and he throws a lot of punches. Benavidez throws them quite frequently, and when opponents try to attack him, he punishes them with quick, sharp blows that pile up and provide a lot of damage. He’s the heavy favorite here, with odds of 1.60 on Chance. Morrell is 2.50.

The current form of David Morrell

Physically, Morrell isn’t far from Benavidez; he may even be a little higher at 6’1’’ with a spidery 77-inch reach. He arrived in America as a seasoned amateur from the rigorous Cuban system, and became a professional in 2019. He was put on the fast track, where he became the WBA champion, made six defenses, and won a version of the championship at 168 pounds in just his third bout. Furthermore, he was already a polished product because of his extensive amateur background.

Morrell is a professional 11-season fighter. He has been both amazing and, at times, completely devastating. He has, however, been somewhat sheltered in that WBA bubble, facing several talented opponents without facing someone who truly sticks out. If one had to enumerate the top six victories between these two in terms of quality, Benavidez would have all six. Morrell is undoubtedly a well-educated boxer, but this advancement in class also presents new difficulties.

Head-to-head

The two boxers never met in the ring before.

Match analytics

We’d be placing our wager on Benavidez. Morrell is a skilled fighter who looks the part, but an American is a cunning and cruel opponent who may not be the greatest person to risk when jumping in class as much as Morrell.

Tip: Total – Number of rounds – Under (10.5), with odds of 3.06 on SynotTip.