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Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider
David Benavidez will meet David Morrell in a high-stakes light heavyweight bout, Benavidez announced Tuesday on Instagram.
The 175-pound bout will headline a PBC pay-per-view card and is expected to take place Jan. 25 in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN.
Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) was in talks to fight fringe contender Jesse Hart on Dec. 14 on the undercard of the Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach title bout, according to sources, but he secured a far more compelling bout.
Benavidez has chased boxing’s top star, Canelo Álvarez, for years. Álvarez hasn’t shown any interest in such a matchup, so Benavidez made the jump from 168 to 175 pounds this summer with a decision win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
Benavidez, 27, who fights out of Miami, is a former two-time titleholder at 168 pounds. He’s rated No. 3 at 175 pounds.
Now, Benavidez is prepared for the toughest test of his career. Cuba’s Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) also made the move to light heavyweight this summer. He encountered the most-challenging fight of his career with a unanimous decision over Radivoje Kalajdzic in August.
Morrell, 26, is ESPN’s No. 4 light heavyweight. ESPN’s top two 175-pounders, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, fight Saturday on ESPN+ for the undisputed light heavyweight championship.
The winner of Benavidez-Morrell will be positioned for a fight with the winner.