It’s a battle of the unbeatens as David Benavidez puts his interim WBC light heavyweight title on the line against reigning WBA light heavyweight champion David Morrell in Las Vegas.
Boasting an impressive 29-0 record with 24 of his victories coming by way of knockout, Benavidez is quickly emerging as one of professional boxing’s top stars. In his last three outings, ‘El Bandera Roja’ has bagged big wins over Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade, and Oleksandr Gvozdyk — the latter of which earned him the interim WBC light heavyweight strap.
Now, he’ll put his gold up for grabs against Morrell, an 11-0 fighter with an 82% finish rate, and his sights set on adding another title to his growing collection.
Round 1
Morrel starts with a jab to the body and throws a couple of right hands that are just out of range. Benavidez fires back with a left-right followed by a right hook. Benavidez jabs to the head and then the body. Morrell ducks in and lands a nice right. Both fighters are showing off their speed early, but it appears that Benavidez is the man with more power. Morrell unleashes four unanswered punches as he’s definitely the more active fighter with a minute to go in the round.
Benavidez lands to the body and Morrell comes right back with a jab that gets through his opponent’s guard. Benavidez sits down on his punches, ruthlessly attacking Morrell’s body in the center of the ring. Morrell is keeping the volume coming, but
Round 2
Benavidez lands a couple of lefts right out the gate and puts Morrell on his back foot. Morrell uses his jab to punch his way off the ropes. Benavidez responds with a power right. Morrell comes right back with a combination and a big shot to the body. Benavidez gives him his receipt, landing a nasty uppercut to the midsection. Both fighters are standing in the pocket and slinging heavy leather. Morrell throws an uppercut to the chin and then connects with a right hook.
With 10 seconds left in the round, they stand and trade. Morrell showboats a bit, dropping his hands and shrugging after eating a shot from Benavidez. Morrell heads back to his corner with a big smile on his face.
Round 3
Benavidez throws a powerful right hand that backs Morrell into the corner. Morrell circles his way out and attempts to get Benavidez moving backward with a flurry of strikes near the ring ropes. Morrell throws a right uppercut that narrowly misses. Benavidez rips to the body but gets a warning for the shot being below the belt. Morrell throws a four-punch combo and Benavidez waves him on, asking for more.
Benavidez unleashes a combination of his own. Morrell again misses with the uppercut in close. Benavidez backs Morrell into a corner again, but Morrell punches his way out and avoids taking any more damage before the bell sounds.
Round 4
Morrell lands a right hand, but it’s Benavidez who’s controlling the action early, working Morrell into the corner and lighting him up with blows to the head and body. Morrell tries to fight his way out, but not before eating a couple of stiff shots in the process. Benavidez again puts Morrell against the ropes and Benavidez lands a big uppercut. Morrell uses a couple of lefts to himself out of danger.
Morrell is fighting entirely on the back foot now as Benavidez has taken complete control of the ring. Benavidez clips Benavidez with a vicious straight right hand near the corner, but that seems to spark something in his opponent as Morrell responds with a barrage of strikes in the corner and appears to have Benavidez on the ropes. Benavidez comes right back with a combination right before the bell.
Round 5
Benavidez immediately backs Morrell up but neither fighter lands anything substantial through the first minute of the round. Benavidez is doing a good job of slipping Morrell’s shots. Benavidez doubles on the jab as Morrell moves forward and connects with a couple of solid shots to the body of Benavidez. As Morrell circles away from the ropes, Benavidez pops him with a left, landing his most significant strike in an otherwise lackluster round from Benavidez.
Round 6
Morrell is dancing around the ring and Benavidez is in hot pursuit. Benavidez traps Morrell in the corner long enough to land a combination. Morrell circles away, but Benavidez stays right on him and continues to pepper Morrell with shots against the ring ropes. Benavidez continues to punish the body and throws a right followed by a booming left uppercut that has Morrell backing up. Benavidez starts to unload which prompts Morrell to start fighting back.
Morrell gets Benavidez backed to the ropes and throws a few potshots before Benavidez fights his way out. Benavidez misses with a left hook to the body. Benavidez lands a lead right hand to the body and unloads a couple of uppercuts as the round comes to a close.
Round 7
Benavidez lands a jab to the body and Morrell gives him one right back. Benavidez retakes the center of the ring and rips to the body. Morrell responds with a three-punch combo, but none of them get through Benavidez’s guard. Morrell lands and uppercut. Benavidez delivers an uppercut of his own as the fighters stand in the phone booth and trade. Morrell eats a stiff body shot and takes a deep breath.
Benavidez lands a left and Morrell comes back with a combination. Benavidez lands a right to the body and Morrell gives him his receipt. They continue to go blow-for-blow with Benavidez and Morrell trading rights. Benavidez goes back to working the body as the 10-second clacker sounds. Benavidez lands one more short shot just before the bell.
Round 8
Benavidez continues to march forward. Morrell jabs to try and keep Benavidez at bay as Benavidez jabs to the body. Benavidez lands a glancing left. Morrell lands a counter left that gets a reaction from the crowd. After spending much of the seventh round throwing one punch at a time, Morrell is starting to put together combinations, catching Benavidez with a left to the chin. Benavidez continues to wear on his, landing a right hook, but Morrell comes right back with a combination.
Benavidez backs Morrell to the ropes and unloads some power shots. Morrell lands a right before circling away from and riding out the last few seconds in the round.
Round 9
They meet in the center of the ring. Morrell is throwing shots, but Benavidez’s jab is keeping Morrell just out of range of landing. Benavidez starts to open up, landing shots to the body and uppercuts to the face. Morrell covers up and patiently waits before firing back with a three-punch combination. Benavidez connects with a right hook. Morrell fires right back, going to the body of Benavidez.
Morrell is once again throwing one punch and a time and backing up. Benavidez pursues and rips to the body, but eats a counter right at the end of the round.
Round 10
Through nine rounds, Morrell has thrown more strikes but hasn’t landed nearly as many as Benavidez. Morrell is doing his best to fend off Benavidez with single strikes, but Benavidez is undeterred and lands a stiff uppercut. Morrell throws a right and eats a counter over the top. Benavidez rips to the body as Morrell is covering up and missing with every swing he takes. Benavidez lands a counter right hand and starts to showboat with a little shuffle against the ropes. That gets the crowd riled up as we head into the penultimate round.
Round 11
Benavidez opens with a couple of right hands down the middle before going back to his jab. Perhaps knowing he needs a knockout to win, Morrell starts to move forward and connects with a combination against the ropes. Benavidez lands a left hook to the body. Benavidez follows that up with a lead right, but it’s Morrell who is sitting down on his punches, throwing with lethal intent against the ropes.
Benavidez encourages Morrell to keep throwing as we hit the two-minute mark of the round. Morrell eats a jab before connecting with a counter left that puts Benavidez on the mat for just the second time in his career. Benavidez answers the count and immediately comes out with a vengeance, looking to even the score. As the fighters continue to throw, the bell sounds signaling the end of the round. Benavidez begins to back away, but Morrell throws one more shot that connects.
The referee brings a pause to the bout and immediately deducts a point from Morrell for the late shot, essentially negating the knockdown he scored moments before.
Round 12
With time running out, Morrell comes out fighting fast and furious. Morrell is throwing with intent, but Benavidez lands with a stiff left. Morrell comes with a couple of right hooks followed by a left. Benavidez connects with a left to the body and then an uppercut. Morrell throws a three-punch combo but eats a left hook from Benavidez. With a minute left in the fight, Morrell appears to be nearly out of gas as Benavidez keeps the pressure coming. Morrell throws a looping left that’s just out of range.
As we hit the last 10 seconds of the fight, both fighters decide to show off for the crowd. Morrell throws one more desperation left, but he’s too far out of range and the fight ends with Benavidez celebrating what should be his 30th career win.
Official Result: David Benavidez def. David Morrell via unanimous decision (115-111, 115-111, 118-108)
Check Out Lights From David Benavidez vs. David Morrell:
David Benavidez ROCKS David Morrell pic.twitter.com/q4iteog0Eo
— Dimas Tollinchi (@TollinchiDimas) February 2, 2025
David Benavidez SNAPS David Morrell Jr.’s HEAD BACK with a FLUSH LEFT UPPERCUT in ROUND 6
#BenavidezMorrell | #Boxing | #Boxeopic.twitter.com/zzpPuoEosD
— RINGOFHIGHLIGHTS (@ringofhighlight) February 2, 2025
David Benavidez and David Morrell are throwing bombs #BenavidezMorrell
pic.twitter.com/gLc8yoxXkL— Delinquent MMA (@DelinquentMMA) February 2, 2025
David Benavidez feeling himself! #BenavidezMorrell
pic.twitter.com/bvy3YbaLdN— Delinquent MMA (@DelinquentMMA) February 2, 2025
David Morrell knocks down David Benavidez in the 11th round
— Zach “” Schumaker (@_SchuZ_) February 2, 2025
DAVID MORRELL
HITS BENAVIDEZ AFTER THE BELL & GETS A POINT TAKEN AWAY‼️
#Boxing #BenavidezMorrell— Danny (@dantheboxingman) February 2, 2025
David Benavidez and David Morrell are putting on one hell of a show!
[️@premierboxing ] pic.twitter.com/4Fn6vswKS3
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) February 2, 2025
Crowd reacted inside the T-Mobile at David Benavidez’s unanimous decision win over David Morrell. #Boxing #BenavidezMorrell pic.twitter.com/GtPpoqaCfm
— Sean Zittel (@Sean_Zittel) February 2, 2025