LAS VEGAS — After years of bad blood, David Benavidez put an end to his rivalry with Caleb Plant on Saturday. He bludgeoned his way to a unanimous decision victory in front of a sellout crowd of 13,865 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Scores were 116-112, 117-111 and 115-113.
With Plant now in the rearview mirror, the interim WBC super middleweight champion can turn his attention to a blockbuster fight with the undisputed champion at 168 pounds, Canelo Alvarez.
"I have a lot of respect for Canelo Alvarez, but he has to give me a shot now," Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) said.
After that performance, it will be hard for Canelo to feel comfortable turning down the challenge. With a looming rematch with Dmitry Bivol in the mix, it'll be interesting to see what direction he goes after his Cinco De Mayo weekend fight with John Ryder.
One thing is for sure: Benavidez's star power cannot be denied. A fight with Canelo on Mexican Independence Day would be a massive showdown between a rising star and current one.
In one of the more highly anticipated fights of the year, Benavidez and Plant delivered on their promise to put on a show. The clash of styles was evident from the start: Plant used lateral movement, his jab and his hand speed to keep "The Mexican Monster" off balance. Plant deposited rounds early and flustered his rival. Benavidez shoved Plant in the clinch and was warned for elbows and roughhousing.
It was obvious that the rivalry was playing out in the ring as both fighters jawed and gestured at each other.
But you can't stay away from a monster forever.
Eventually, Benavidez caught up to Plant and blistered him with his trademark barrage of power punches. By Round 7, Benavidez began to land with alarming frequency as he clubbed Plant on the inside and sank in body shots to take the air out of his opponent's sails.
By Round 10, Plant was struggling to stay on his feet as Benavidez pursued the knockout. With the crowd reaching a fever pitch, Plant mixed his approach between circling away and attempting to fight off Benavidez's advances.
Nothing he could do would keep Benavidez off him. Rounds 10, 11 and 12 consisted of one-way traffic with a frightening assault of punches. Somehow, Plant remained upright to see the final bell, but he fell short against a man possessed.
All the bad blood that had reached a boiling point was washed away with respect afterward as the two embraced and spoke highly of the other.
Now we'll have to see if Canelo will accept the challenge of a 26-year-old who is primed to take over boxing.
The Sporting News provided live updates and highlights from the card. Here's how it went down:
David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant live results, updates
David Benavidez def. Caleb Plant
Result: David Benavidez def. Caleb Plant via unanimous decision. Scores were 116-112, 117-111 & 115-113
Round 12: Benavidez makes his push and Plant is fighting back. The stones on Caleb Plant are massive. Benavidez rips him for coming forward. Uppercuts from Benavidez and a right hand. The power punching from Benavidez is brutal. Plant is still fighting but he just can't hurt Benavidez. Big combination from Benavidez hurts Plant again. Uppercut from Benavidez lifts Plant's chin to the roof but Plant throws a flurry of punches. Big combination from Benavidez hurts Plant and they go to war to the end!
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Benavidez (115-113, Benavidez)
Round 11: Two rounds left and Plant has to survive. He's trying but Benavidez just smashes him with an uppercut. Big left hook hurts Plant again. Benavidez wobbles him badly. More body shots. Plant is trying to survive but this is getting rough. Chopping right and a left to the body. Six uppercuts in a row from Benavidez. Massive left hook! Plant is ready to go down. More punishment!! Benavidez is pounding the sense out of Plant. It's brutal but Plant is still standing somehow as the round ends. How is he awake???
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Benavidez (105-104, Benavidez)
Round 10: Plant is trying to fight Benavidez off but the Monster is in pursuit. Right hand from Benavidez lands and Plant fires back but eats an uppercut. Here comes a wicked eight-punch combination. Plant is falling apart. Benavidez lands an uppercut and tears into Plant with a right hook. He's smoking Plant. Right hook has him in huge trouble. Plant looks like he's going down. Benavidez to the body. Head. Smashing Plant! Plant is fighting back with all he has. Benavidez is just destroying Plant. Five right hooks uppercut and body combo. This is getting ugly as the round comes to a close.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Benavidez (95-95)
Round 9: Plant launches a menacing hook into Benavidez's nether realm. Action stops for a low blow. It resumes and Benavidez lands a left hook. He's getting closer and stronger. This crowd is going wild. Right hook and a pair of left hands by Benavidez land hard. He's in seek-and-destroy mode. Plant is running out of air but he's fighting back. Benavidez thumps his chest and comes after him. Benavidez is unloading on Plant, who is hanging on for dear life. Benavidez is trying to kill Plant with every punch he throws. The tide has shifted immensely.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Benavidez (86-85, Plant)
Round 8: Plant is using every inch of the ring. Benavidez shreds Plant with a left hook on the inside and rocks him badly! Here he comes and he rips to the body. Hard right hand by Benavidez has Plant on his bicycle. Benavidez lands a hook and Plant is hurt. He is wobbled badly. Referee stops the action after a head-butt right in the middle of a Benavidez onslaught. The action starts and Benavidez is clubbing Plant. Huge left hook sends Plant into the ropes. Benavidez clobbers Plant around the ring until the round ends.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Benavidez (77-75, Plant)
Round 7: Plant lands a short right hook and Benavidez chases after him. Short right counter by Plant off a long Benavidez jab. Another counter from Plant lands flush. Benavidez unloads on Plant with bombs. Body and head. Plant fights back to the body. Hard left hook from Plant lands and moves Benavidez back. Plant with a beautiful combination to close the round. A round that Plant needed to win was close but he earned the edge.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Plant (68-65, Plant)
Round 6: Hard left hand from Benavidez lands flush and Plant gets out of there immediately. Plant pops the jab to keep Benavidez honest. Benavidez nearly loses his balance after swinging but lands a trio of short uppercuts. Plant lands to the body and Benavidez responds with a left hook to the side of the head. Plant wraps him up. Benavidez opens up a can of thudding hooks and uppercuts to close the round.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Benavidez (58-56, Plant)
Round 5: Plant goes to work on Benavidez along the ropes. He doesn't land anything of importance. Body shot from Benavidez and Plant circles away. A combination from Benavidez lands and Plant takes it well. Big uppercut from Benavidez lands. He's getting closer. Lots of showmanship from both now. Plant refuses to give Benavidez what he wants but there may be enough to give him the round.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Benavidez (49-46, Plant)
Round 4: Plant's speed advantage is evident. Hard left hand from Plant moves Benavidez back. Plant's lateral movement has Benavidez off balance. Benavidez lands a clubbing left hook but Plant slides away before anything else comes with it. Benavidez lands a double left hook and a body punch. He's closing the gap again. Beautiful left hook from Plant rips Benavidez. They exchange hooks as the round comes to a close.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Plant (40-36, Plant)
Round 3: They exchange hooks. Benavidez is getting closer to Plant. Big combination from Benavidez. Plant lands to the body and Benavidez misses wildly. Benavidez inching closer but Plant lands a hard left hand. Plant making sure this doesn't turn into a firefight, and he has Benavidez annoyed.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Plant (30-27, Plant)
Round 2: Plant with a body-head combination to start the round. Jab to the body from Plant. Benavidez swings and misses. They exchange hooks. Benavidez with a left hook that lands. Hard jab by Plant. Good movement to stay away. Benavidez is fighting with a lot of emotion. Plant continues to stick and move extremely well. He's frustrating Benavidez. Great dig to the body by Plant. He's boxing beautifully.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Plant (20-18, Plant)
Round 1: Both are jabbing and looking for their range. Plant lands to the body. They clinch and Benavidez shoves him hard. They are swinging with bad intentions already. Definitely a feeling-out round. Plant a little more active.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Plant
12:10 a.m. ET: Benavidez vs. Plant is up now! We're shifting to round-by-round coverage.
Jesus Ramos pounds Joey Spencer for 7th-round stoppage victory
11:58 p.m. ET: There was nothing Spencer could do to move the mountain of a man known as Jesus Ramos. Spencer's corner sent him out for the seventh and Ramos assaulted him with a blistering array of body shots and combinations to the head. Although he wasn't in serious trouble, Spencer's corner had seen enough and threw in the towel. It was just too much for the young prospect to overcome. Live to fight another day.
11:45 p.m. ET: It has to be emphasized just how big Ramos looks compared to Spencer tonight, and the difference in power is profound. If nothing else, Spencer has heart and a decent chin because he has taken some menacing shots and remains with his senses intact. Four rounds down, it doesn't quite feel like this one will go the distance.
11:32 p.m. ET: Fireworks were expected between Ramos and Spencer and a short left hook from Ramos put Spencer down in the first round. They battled to the bell but Ramos clearly looked like the bigger puncher.
11:25 p.m. ET: The co-main event is up next as Jesus Ramos (19-0, 15 KOs) and Joey Spencer (16-0, 10 KOs) do battle where somebody's "0" has got to go. Hopefully, the judges won't ruin another fight.
Chris Colbert takes decision against Jose Valenzuela in an absolute robbery
Scores: 95-94, 95-94, 95-94
11:15 p.m. ET: Wow. The word "robbery" is used too liberally in boxing, but it applies tonight as all three judges found a way to give Colbert the decision. There's just no way that Colbert won after also being knocked down. "Rayo" routinely beat him to the punch and the power difference was evident. Absolutely abysmal judging tonight.
.@_Primetime718 edges out Valenzuela for the UD win. @rayoboxing voices his disagreement in the center of the ring. #ColbertValenzuela | #BenavidezPlant: https://t.co/eQNn1kH66D pic.twitter.com/rgzD1gpUhf
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) March 26, 2023
11 p.m. ET: Heading into the ninth round, Valenzuela should be up on all the scorecards as he continues to impose his will on Colbert. The power is just too much for Colbert to overcome, but he certainly is trying. Colbert did have a strong seventh round where it felt as if he was pulling himself back into the fight, but "Rayo" opened the eighth with an assault that dashed Colbert's hopes. Two more rounds to go.
10:44 p.m. ET: After a rocky first round, Colbert has steadied himself by using his speed and technical savvy. Valenzuela is the heavier puncher by far, but if Colbert prods enough he can pull ahead by the middle rounds. But Valenzuela's power and body attack have been strong.
10:33 p.m. ET: Less than a minute into the fight, Valenzuela smashed Colbert with a left hook that deposited him on the canvas. The round continued to go downhill for Colbert as he was nearly sent to the floor again with an overhand left. Colbert better get himself together, or it's going to be a short night for the former WBA interim lightweight champion.
The counter left from @rayoboxing put Colbert on the canvas in the opening moments of RD1. @ColbertValenzuela
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) March 26, 2023
Buy #BenavidezPlant on @ShowtimeBoxing PPV NOW: https://t.co/JEpjQn7sLT pic.twitter.com/mvgIsMmLMq
10:17 p.m. ET: Up next is Chris Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) aiming to get back into the win column against Jose Valenzuela (12-1, 8 KOs), who also is coming off the first loss of his career.
Cody Crowley takes tough majority decision over Abel Ramos
Scores: 115-113, 116-112, 114-114
10:15 p.m. ET: Ramos found success in the later rounds but Crowley's pressure earned him the decision in a very tough fight. Ramos landed some of the heavier shots but that wasn't enough to turn back the persistent Crowley.
9:45 p.m. ET: After six rounds, the Crowley pressure game has still proved successful, but Ramos has found some moments to land power shots. The problem is that they are few and far between and simply not enough to earn him rounds.
9:30 p.m. ET: Through three rounds, Crowley's relentless pressure has kept Ramos' back against the ropes and absorbing an assault to the head and body. Nothing has broken down Ramos yet, but he's going to have to offer Crowley something that will back his opponent off him.
9:05 p.m. ET: The PPV portion is about to kick off with Cody Crowley (21-0, 9 KOs) — who has a tragic, yet inspiring, story — facing Abel Ramos (27-5-2, 21 KOs). This fight also happens to be taking place on Crowley's 30th birthday.
8:15 p.m. ET: We are live from ringside with an hour to go before the PPV begins. There's a buzz in the MGM Grand Casino as fans for both fighters begin to fill the hallways. This is going to be a good one.
When is David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant?
- Date: Saturday, March 25 | Sunday, March 26
- Start time: 9 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. GMT | Noon AEDT
- Main event: Midnight ET | 4 a.m. GMT | 3 p.m. AEDT (approx.)
Benavidez vs. Plant takes place on March 25. The main card starts at 9 p.m. ET (1 a..m GMT, noon AEDT). Benavidez and Plant should make their way to the ring around midnight ET (4 a.m. GMT, 3 p.m. AEDT), depending on how long the undercard fights last.
MORE: A breakdown of Caleb Plant winning the mental battle with David Benavidez
How to watch David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat., March 25 | Showtime PPV, PPV.com |
| United Kingdom | Sun., March 26 | FITE.tv |
| Australia | Sun., March 26 | Main Event on Kayo |
Benavidez vs. Plant will be on Showtime PPV in the U.S.
Viewers can stream Showtime via Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Xbox ONE, a laptop, or any mobile or tablet device.
The fight will be available in the U.K. via FITE.
David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant PPV price: How much does the card cost?
- $74.99
- £12.99 in the U.K. on FITE
To watch Benavidez vs. Plant, you must pay $74.99 via Showtime PPV.
David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant undercard
- David Benavidez def. Caleb Plant via unanimous decision (116-112, 117-111, 115-113).
- Jesus Ramos def. Joseph Spencer via 7th-round TKO (1:25).
- Chris Colbert def. Jose Valenzuela via unanimous decision (95-94, 95-94, 95-94).
- Cody Crowley def. Abel Ramos via majority decision (115-113, 116-112, 114-114).