The number 1 pound for pound boxer has his plans set for the year, he plans to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion. Even though he is a heavy favorite against Avni Yildirim, he should not look past his opponent as there is always a chance of an upset.
Couple of things from my interview with @Canelo: Said goal is definitely to be undisputed at 168. Gave lot of respect to BJS & Plant. If everything works out he'll fight Feb. 27, May 8, Sept and hopes to also go in December. That would mean five fights in 12 months. #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) February 10, 2021
Caleb Plant has been the IBF Champion, but has not really fought the same caliber of fighters as Canelo had in the past. There were a lot of speculations that he wanted to fight the then WBC Champion David Benavidez but the fight never happened.
In terms of stylistically, it would be interesting since Plant has great boxing defense so how would Canelo close the distance to the bigger guy with great defense. Plant has dominated most of his opponents but has shown to have a lack of power. He usually outboxes his opponents to a decision.
Another opponent that is almost official is the May fight against Billy Joe Saunders. Prior to Canelo’s quest to undisputed, Saunders wanted the winner of GGG vs Canelo but has not gotten it due to negotiation issues. Other than that, he was also suspended due to an issue outside the ring.
Billy Joe Saunders is also undefeated and is the current WBO Champion. According to the reports the fight is a done deal provided that Canelo will not have any injuries in his fight against Avni Yildirim.
This is what made Canelo gain more respect from the fans, even though he had a massive payday in his DAZN contract, he opted out of his contract to pursue his boxing legacy. He has beaten a lot of big names like Sergey Kovalev, Gennady Golovkin, Callum Smith and many other tough fighters. Canelo also has his promotion approved by the athletic commission in Nevada.
