David Benavidez vs. David Morrell fight card: Biggest storylines to watch in first PBC on Prime PPV of 2025

A can’t-miss grudge match between unbeaten light heavyweight stars headlines a loaded pay-per-view card on Saturday when David Benavidez and David Morrell Jr. square off in Las Vegas. 

The PBC on Prime Video PPV card emanates from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) returns to Sin City for his fourth consecutive fight against the Cuban-born Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs). In the co-main event, featherweights Stephen Fulton Jr. (22-1, 8 KOs) and Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) renew hostilities in a rematch of their 2021 fight of the year. 

As we draw closer to this weekend’s event, let’s take a closer look at the biggest storylines surrounding the card. 

1. It might sound cliché but these guys really can’t stand each other

What’s better than a PPV main event featuring two unbeaten fighters at the peak of their powers in a delectable style contrast that doubles as one of the best fights that can be made in worldwide boxing? Oh, how about a palpable dislike between them and a saucy fight promotion that has sent fight night expectations through the roof? Yeah, this fight has all of that, too. After a volatile kickoff press conference in November, the two fighters needed to be separated during a commercial shoot. Weeks later, at a combined media day workout at a Miami gym, Benavidez shoved Morell during their face-off, which led to Morrell throwing one of his belts at his opponent while team members frantically tried to keep them apart. Benavidez fights, in general, typically get extra spicy as fight night draws near (think Caleb Plant in 2023) but this one has been altogether different. Benavidez has accused Morrell of performance-enhancing drug use while Morrell has countered by accusing Benavidez of previously ducking him and comparing his opponent’s high-guard style to that of the fictional movie character “RoboCop.” While one can never be certain exactly how a fight of any magnitude will play out, sprinkling this level of dislike over an already fantastic main event is nothing short of exciting. 

2. The stakes in this fight are through the roof

There may not be an officially recognized world title at stake in this 175-pound duel due to the fact that the undisputed title will be contested for in a rematch next month. But the winner of Saturday’s Benavidez-Morrell clash will surely be in the driver’s seat to cash in handsomely as a result of getting their hand raised. First and foremost, the winner becomes a mandatory challenger to face the winner of the second four-belt showdown on Feb. 22 between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Secondly, there are also pound-for-pound considerations at stake for the winner. Benavidez, who is already ranked in the top 10 by CBS Sports, can also add Morrell to an incredible five-fight stretch that has seen him score breakthrough wins over former champions, David Lemieux, Plant, Demetrius Andrade and Oleksandr Gvozdyk. But the biggest development for the winner could come in the form of Canelo Alvarez, the unified super middleweight champion. Benavidez and Morrell are only fighting each other right now because Alvarez has outright avoided both. It’s the same reason why the two boxers moved up to light heavyweight to begin with rather than waste time hoping to win the lottery by facing the Mexican icon. But even though Alvarez is currently linked in negotiations for a fall clash with former two-division undisputed king Terence Crawford, it’s fair to at least suggest that Alvarez will be watching this matchup closely as he plots his future plans. 

3. Benavidez and Morrell are each facing their toughest test to date

Even with the success Benavidez has had over the past two years as a growing PPV star who has faced an increasingly difficult list of fighters, “El Monstro” has yet to challenge his skills against someone as dynamic as the southpaw Morrell. A native of Cuba who now resides in Minneapolis, the 27-year-old Morrell has been on the fast track since he first turned pro in 2019. He fought for a secondary world title in just his third pro fight and will likely bring advantages in hand speed, athleticism, footwork and defense against Benavidez, not to mention a four-inch advantage in reach. Morrell can mix the practical sweet science with unorthodox explosiveness as well as any boxer in the game today. Benavidez may have already fought opponents who are more famous and well known, but he has never quite faced this exact combination of skills, which have been carefully managed by Morrell’s legendary trainer, Ronnie Shields. Benavidez, however, is a slight betting favorite in this veritable 50/50 matchup for a reason. And he represents, quite easily, the most dangerous threat to his unbeaten record yet through 12 pro bouts. Benavidez somehow remains defensively responsible for a fighter who spends so much time crowding and pressuring his opponents while squared up behind his high guard. But even though Morrell has the kind of eclectic mix to his skills that it wouldn’t be crazy to imagine him banking a handful of early rounds, the real test against Benavidez comes in the second half of fights after he has figured you out and his lust for a stoppage only increases with his output. What we still don’t know about Morrell is how well he takes a punch against a real knockout threat who is capable of dragging him into the deepest of waters in the championship rounds. This is the matchup where we find out, for both of them.  

4. Three years later, fans are still debating the result of Fulton-Figueroa I

It was one of the best fights that the first half of this decade has produced in the sport of boxing and the result felt like it literally could have gone either way. In the end, when Fulton and Figueroa put their unbeaten records on the line just over three years ago to unify 122-pound titles in Las Vegas in December 2021, it was Fulton who scored a highly disputed win via majority decision. The two combined to throw over 1,700 punches over 12 thrilling rounds, according to CompuBox, in the 2021 Fight of the Year. Both boxers also vehemently believed that they had done enough to earn a clear victory. But their rematch, up four pounds at featherweight, comes after a particularly tumultuous stretch inside the ring for Fulton dating back two years. In 2023, Fulton suffered his first defeat in a one-sided stoppage loss to pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue in Japan. Following a 14-month layoff, Fulton made his featherweight debut against Carlos Castro last September and struggled to come away with a split-decision win. It was the same Castro whom Figueroa knocked out in his own 126-pound debut just two years prior. Figueroa, who remains a slight betting favorite entering the rematch, is also 3-0 at 126 pounds since the Fulton loss with a trio of wins over recognized names and former champions. However it plays out, the expectations remain that these two are the perfect dance partners for one another’s style, with most prognosticators expecting a similarly close outcome this weekend.  

5. Isaac Cruz looks to bounce back from title loss against fan-friendly foe

At age 26, the diminutive Mexican star known simply as “Pitbull” has already built himself a reputation for being willing to fight the best time and again. Cruz certainly proved that in 2021 when, as a late replacement, he gave lightweight star Gervonta “Tank” Davis all he could handle in a close decision loss that announced Cruz as a breakout star. And following his breakthrough knockout of Rolando Romero last March, Cruz attempted to fight for a world title in a new weight division at 140 pounds only to come up just short in a split-decision loss to Jose Valuenzuela. This weekend, after Cruz pulled out of negotiations to fight Ryan Garcia in May so he could focus on his opponent at hand, Cruz will look to get back in the win column and continue his search for big fights when he welcomes Tijuana brawler Angel Fierro. The 26-year-old Fierro, who is trained by Hall of Famer Erik Morales, bring big power and even bigger guts to the table as an upset specialist who made his name in 2021 when he went to Puerto Rico on six days’ notice to stop former champion Alberto Machado. Fierro will undoubtedly look to bring the fight to his Mexican countrymen in a bout which is all but guaranteed to please the fans in Las Vegas and beyond.