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🥊 Bad Blood at 175
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Fight With Teddy Atlas Newsletter, your one-stop shop for all things combat sports related, brought to you by Teddy and The Fight team.
On Fridays We Bring You:
A combat sports news digest with all the headlines you need to know from Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.
Highlights from the podcast and across the fight world.
Fight times and information you need to know ahead of time.
Fight News From Around The 🌍
An Unexpected Grudge Match
Date: Feb 1st 2025
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight (175 lbs)
Stakes: WBC Interim Title
David Benavidez and David Morrell are two of the most feared (and avoided) fighters in boxing today, yet their paths to this moment could not be more different.
In fact, they cross paths in a totally different weight class at light heavyweight, which is still fairly unfamiliar for both men.
Benavidez, a two-time WBC champion, has long been seen as the most dangerous threat to Canelo Alvarez’s throne.
His relentless pressure, devastating power, and unshakable confidence have made him a force of nature in the division. He has carved through opponents with ease, dispatching the likes of Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade in brutal fashion.
Many believe that, had he not lost his title on the scales in 2020, he would already be the division’s undisputed king.
Morrell, on the other hand, has been a fast-rising enigma—an extraordinary talent moving at an extraordinary pace. In just a handful of fights, the Cuban southpaw has showcased a rare blend of speed, skill, and finishing ability.
Despite his limited professional experience, he has torn through seasoned opponents, with his destructive performance against Aidos Yerbossynuly serving as a stark warning to what he is capable of.
Tomorrow night, these two collide in a fight that could define both their near futures.
For Benavidez, this is a chance to erase any remaining doubts about his ability to compete at light heavy and place himself front and centre for the winner of Beterbiev vs Bivol II.
For Morrell, it is an opportunity to complete his fast track through the professional ranks and graduate to world champion in 2025.
Fire meets fire. Will the experience and relentless aggression of Benavidez overwhelm Morrell? Or will the Cuban’s precision and elusiveness carve out a new era?
Get the full breakdown and prediction from Teddy in the fight plan below.
Look Who’s Back
Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Date: Feb 1st 2025
Location: anb Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Weight Class: Middleweight (185 lbs)
Israel Adesanya has been here before—doubted, dismissed, and forced to remind the world exactly who he is.
The former two-time UFC middleweight champion is returning to the Octagon after a loss to Dricus du Plessis, a setback that shattered expectations and put his legacy under scrutiny.
For years, Adesanya was the division’s untouchable king, dismantling challengers with surgical precision. But after a brutal war with Alex Pereira and a short-lived second reign ended by Sean Strickland, the questions have grown louder: Is Adesanya still at his peak of his powers, or has the division finally caught up?
Nassourdine Imavov isn’t waiting to find out. The French contender has quietly built himself into a dangerous threat, blending crisp striking with a relentless pace.
A product of Fernand Lopez’s MMA Factory—the same gym that produced Ciryl Gane—Imavov has been knocking on the door of the elite, and now, he has a chance to blow it wide open.
He’s younger, hungry, and eager to make his name off one of the biggest stars in the sport.
For Adesanya, this fight is about legacy and redemption. A dominant win could silence critics and put him back in the title picture.
For Imavov, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. A victory would announce him as the division’s next true contender and possibly end an era.
Will Adesanya remind the world why he once ruled, or is this the moment Imavov steps into the spotlight?
The hunter or the hunted. The answer comes tomorrow.
Hear Teddy’s thoughts below.
Fight ⏰ for this weekend
Boxing: Benavidez vs Morrell (Saturday 1st/Sunday 2nd)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific | Main Event: 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 1am | Main Event: 4am
🇦🇺 Full Card: 12pm Eastern/ 9am Western | Main event: 3pm Eastern/ 12pm Western
MMA: Adesanya vs Imavov (Saturday 1st/Sunday 2nd)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 12pm Eastern/9am Pacific | Main Event: 3pm Eastern/12pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 5pm | Main Event: 8pm
🇦🇺 Full Card: 4am Eastern/ 1am Western | Main event: 7am Eastern/ 4am Western