David Benavidez and Caleb Plant on Friday made weight for their 168-pound pay-per-view fight Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and took advantage of one last opportunity to exchange trash talk.
Benavidez came in at 166.8 pounds, 1.2 under the division limit. Plant weighed 167.2.
Their obligatory stare down didn’t last long but it was dramatic. They were jawing back and forth when Plant stuck a finger in his opponent’s face, prompting Benavidez to push Plant backward.
At that point personnel on stage stepped between the fighters and separated them.
“We were just exchanging pleasantries, telling each other how much we like each other,” Plant said sarcastically during his interview. “He’s been talking a lot, saying how much he’s going to whoop my ass and this and that.
“We’re going to see tomorrow. You know what’s up.”
Benavidez then interjected something from across the stage. Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) responded, “Shut up.”
“He tried to put his finger on my face,” Benavidez said. “I had to push his ass back. But he knows what’s up. When his [handlers] have to pick him up off the f—ing ground when he’s bleeding all that blood ….
“We’re ready for tomorrow, 100 percent ready.”
Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) was asked about coming in well below the division limit.
“It’s speaks for itself,” he said. “I’ve been on weight the whole week. And I”m ready. I’m ready to take this mother—er’s head off.”
The weights for the other fights on the pay-per-view portion of the card are as follows:
- Jesus Ramos (153.2) vs. Joey Spencer (153.2), junior middleweights.
- Jose Valenzuela (134.0) vs. Chris Colbert (134-6), lightweights.
- Cody Crowley (145.2) vs. Abel Ramos (146.0), welterweights.
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