Teddy Atlas predicts that Imam Khataev will give David Morrell a “test” on Saturday night in their 10-round light heavyweight fight on July 12th at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. Atlas watched some of the 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Khataev’s fights, and he notes that he has a good chin. He may be able to take Morrell’s power.

Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs) is stepping back in with world-class competition after his loss to David Benavidez last February. The former two-division world champion Morrell doesn’t believe in taking on weak opposition after that. He wants to prove his doubters wrong and put himself in a position to fight for a world title as fast as possible. Morrell says he’d be open to a rematch with Benavidez “100%.”

Morrell’s Punching Power

“I think Morrell gets a test here. It might come down to how good of a chin Khataev has. What I’ve seen of Khataev is that he has a good chin. Have I seen him hit by Morrell? No,” said Teddy Atlas on his channel. “Morrell is a little better puncher than what I’ve seen him hit with. Morrell’s talent will probably show itself.”

Khataev’s opposition as a pro has been awful. Despite his Olympic background, Khataev’s management has chosen to match him like a green prospect. What a waste, as Khtaev was 27 when he turned pro. That’s not young for a person coming into the professional ranks. He should have been fast-tracked instead of matched against tomato cans for the last four years.

“I think the Benavidez fight was a learning experience for David Morrell, who was inexperienced in terms of overall record and caliber of competition that David Benavidez provides,” said commentator Chris Mannix to DAZN Boxing about Saturday’s fight between David Morrell and Imam Khaev.

The Benavidez fight showed Morrell and his trainer that he can’t get by with throwing single shots at light heavyweight. There are too many fighters that focus on combination punching the way Benvidez does, and Morrell can’t afford to throw one at a time, hoping he can score a knockout. His power isn’t the same at 175 as it was at 168.

Morrell’s Benavidez Fight Lessons

“It wasn’t that Morrell was outclassed in that fight. He was competitive throughout and got beat arguably by the best man at 175. David Benavidez is elite,” said Mannix. “I think he’s going to be a better fighter as a result. When you face that type of competition, it can only help you grow as a fighter.”

Morrell knows he can’t shell up against the ropes and allow Khataev to unload on him with his best power punches like he did against Benavidez. That was a mistake. We saw Morrell do that repeatedly against ‘The Mexican Monster.’

He allowed Benavidez to get the upper hand by throwing speedy combinations and not answering back with his own. The occasional big shot that Morrell threw in between wasn’t enough.