Demetrius Andrade: I Can Hit [Benavidez] With Shots Where I Can Probably Put Him Out

David Benavidez is a pure tremendous middleweight who has knocked out 85 p.c of the opponents he has confronted in 10 years as knowledgeable prizefighter.

Demetrius Andrade has competed solely as soon as on the tremendous middleweight restrict of 168 kilos, and he defeated Demond Nicholson by unanimous determination in that 10-round bout. Andrade remains to be assured that he not solely can beat Benavidez on November 25 in Las Vegas, however that the undefeated southpaw can cease Benavidez inside the space.

Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs), of Windfall, Rhode Island, defined his rationale to Showtime’s Brian Custer throughout an episode of his “The Final Stand Podcast,” which premiered Monday on Showtime Sports activities’ YouTube channel.

“I undoubtedly really feel like I can hit him with pictures the place, you realize, I can in all probability put him out – for certain,” Andrade stated. “And it’ll do injury, and I believe he can be shocked on the kind of energy, the motion I’ve, the place he might wanna take his time extra. And it might go the space. You already know, he’s an enormous child. He’s an enormous child, so I do know I’ve to put on him down, should put on him down.”

The 35-year-old Andrade has received solely three of his previous 9 fights by knockout. Every of these three victories got here towards big underdogs in WBO middleweight title defenses (Artur Akavov, Luke Keeler and Jason Quigley).

The 26-year-old Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) went all 12 rounds in his final struggle – a 12-round, unanimous-decision win towards former IBF tremendous middleweight champ Caleb Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) on March 25 at MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment in Las Vegas. That factors victory snapped Benavidez’s six-fight knockout streak.

The awkward Andrade represents a special kind of check for Benavidez, although. The Phoenix native hasn’t confronted a left-handed opponent since he stopped Denis Douglin within the tenth spherical of their August 2016 bout at 2300 Enviornment in Philadelphia.

DraftKings sportsbook has established Benavidez as a 4-1 favourite to defeat Andrade, a 2008 U.S. Olympian and former junior middleweight and middleweight champion, of their Showtime Pay-Per-View important occasion. Benavidez-Andrade will headline a four-fight present from Mandalay Bay Resort and On line casino’s Michelob ULTRA Enviornment.

“It’s simpler stated than achieved, however I do know I’ve been doing this for a very long time as nicely,” Andrade stated. “I been knowledgeable 15 years now. Haven’t been damage, haven’t been like damage dangerous, haven’t been down, you realize? … You possibly can by no means go to a struggle and say Demetrius Andrade been hit laborious and down, and he’s in all places. So, I’m recent.”

Keith Idec is a senior author/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He could be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.