By: Hans Themistode
Former super middleweight belt holder David Benavidez will begin his 2021 campaign with a stiff test as he takes on contender Ronald Ellis. As first reported by The Athletic’s Mike Coppinger, the pair are slated to face off in the main event slot on Showtime on March 13th. Reports also indicate that their showdown is likely to take place in Uncasville Connecticut.
For Benavidez, he’ll look to turn the page on what turned out to be a messy 2020. After spending 11 months on the sidelines mostly due to COVID-19, Benavidez (23-0, 20 KOs) finally got the ball rolling as he took on Roamer Alexis Angulo. What was originally supposed to be the second defense of Benavidez WBC 168-pound championship, things shifted to a non-title event as Benavidez failed to make weight and was subsequently stripped.
Losing his title however, did nothing to slow down his in-ring momentum as he steamrolled Angulo via tenth round stoppage.
In the case of Ellis (18-1-2, 12 KOs) on the other hand, he also spent the majority of 2020 waiting and hoping to appear in the ring. His wish was granted as he took on perpetual contender Matt Korobov on December 12th. While Ellis seemed troubled by the cagey veteran southpaw early on, he was given a reprieve as Korobov suffered an injury to his left ankle and could not continue. At the time of the stoppage, Korobov was leading on two of the three scorecards.