Fllowing a one-sided beating against Andre Dirrell, Jose Uzcategui made a statement to the rest of the super middleweight division. Though he believed that his IBF world title reign had only just begun, Caleb Plant had other ideas.
On January 13th, 2019, at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, Plant boxed his way to a unanimous decision win. In the immediate aftermath, Uzcategui (32-4, 27 KOs) struggled. In an attempt to close out the year strong, the Venezuelan native suffered a jaw-dropping defeat at the hands of fringe contender, Lionell Thompson.
Forced to hit the reset button, Uzcategui would take approximately a year and a half off. Since returning, the 31-year-old has gotten back to his dominant ways, racking up three consecutive stoppage victories. With his confidence in full bloom, Uzcategui has stepped to the forefront as he begs for matchups against every top-rated 168-pounder.
“There’s a lot of potential fights,” said Uzcategui recently to ESNEWS. “I’m willing to fight anybody. I’m waiting for the call. It can be (David) Benavidez, it can be Plant, it can be anybody.”
In the case of Benavidez, Uzcategui was initially given his wish. At the tail end of 2021, both parties agreed to square off in an official showdown on November 13th. Nevertheless, with only a few weeks remaining before their highly anticipated showdown, Uzcategui tested positive for EPO, a banned substance.
As a result, Premier Boxing Champions, the promotional banner in which Benavidez competes under, removed the former titlist and replaced him with Kyrone Davis. While valiant, Davis proved to be no match for Benavidez, faltering under his relentless pressure via seventh-round knockout.
Most recently, Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) kept his undefeated record alive, taking care of business with relative ease against David Lemieux. But, in spite of his unblemished ledger, Uzcategui is unimpressed with whom he’s taken on thus far. While he craves a showdown against the former-two division belt holder, Uzcategui believes that Benavidez needs him more than he needs Benavidez.
“I been waiting three years for that fight. That’s the fight that I dream of. I think I’m the opponent that David needs.”
