Anthony Dirrell doesn't want to repeat one-and-done scenario in second title reign

WBC Super Middleweight champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (33-1-1, 24 KO’s) vs. David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez (21-0, 18 KO’s) – September 28, Staples Centre – Los Angeles, California.

Anthony Dirrell is the current WBC, 168-pound super middleweight champion. It is his second run as champion after beating Avni Yildirim in February to capture the belt Benavidez lost for failing a drug test (and having the belt subsequently stripped from him).

However, the first time Dirrell was champion he lost the title in his first defense to Badou Jack. He doesn’t want to repeat the one-and-done scenario again. And, despite facing a fighter who is undefeated, and 13-years his junior, he feels he has the drive to handle him and keep the belt.

While Benavidez does come into the ring undefeated and a former world champion (who never lost his belt in the ring) his only real name of note is his title winning effort over Ronald Gavril in 2017. He doesn’t have the name checks on his resume that Dirrell does, but it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that Benavidez turned pro at the age of 16 after a limited amateur career and he has been perfect out of the gate in 21 fights; pretty impressive stuff.

Dirrell doesn’t have the perfect record of Benavidez sporting a draw with Sakio Bika in 2013 and a loss to Badou Jack in 2015 in his first title defense (in his first run as champion). Other than those 2 fights though, he has been impressive to say the least.

What he does have over Benavidez is experience with a much higher caliber of fighter having shared the ring with former world champions Jack and Bika, world champion Caleb Truax and world title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio.

While Benavidez respects what Dirrell has accomplished in the ring he feels it is his time and it is time for the old guard to step aside. However, in recent interviews, despite suggesting he is close to retiring, Dirrell has insisted he isn’t done quite yet.

“This is going to be a good fight. David Benavidez is a warrior and I don’t take anything away from him,” Dirrell said at a recent media workout. “But I know that I have all the tools to beat him. He’s never fought someone like me. Everyone he knocked out, he was supposed to knock out”, continued Dirrell.“I have everything I need in my arsenal. I’m versatile. I can switch it up if I need to. If I need to sit in the pocket, I can. If I need to box, I can”, he said.

And, while he facing a big strong guy in Benavidez, Dirrell insists that he’s going in for the KO. He also insists that the underdog status just fires him up.

“I’m going for the knockout. I go for the knockout in every fight,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, I can still go 12 rounds and come out victorious. This win would build my legacy. Some people expect me to lose, and I’m happy about that. This just takes my career to another level.”

Dirrell has said that 2019 might be a wrap for him in his boxing career, but he doesn’t sound like a guy a few months from retirement.

”I’m not looking past this fight. I’m focused on David Benavidez,” he said. “After this fight I can talk about unification or whatever. But first I have to take care of David.”