The last thing David Morrell Jr. wanted to do after David Benavidez beat him was wallow in the disappointment of his first professional loss.

An undeterred Morrell instead accepted another dangerous assignment five months later on The Ring’s pay-per-view card next month. The confident Cuban southpaw recognizes that Imam Khataev views him the way Morrell looked at Benavidez as they approach their 10-round light heavyweight fight July 12 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs) has competed in only two more pro bouts than Khataev (10-0, 9 KOs), whereas Benavidez has almost three times as much pro experience as Morrell. Still, joining the unbeaten Benavidez as the only opponents to defeat Morrell would complete Khataev’s transformation from promising prospect to legitimate contender in just his 11th fight since he won a bronze medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The 27-year-old Morrell, meanwhile, wants to demonstrate that his respectable defeat to Benavidez is a setback from which he can quickly rebuild his career.

Last fight: Lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Benavidez, who defended the WBC interim light heavyweight title February 1 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Odds: Morrell is a -500 betting favorite over Khataev (+350), according to DraftKings.

How does Morrell win? Resist the temptation to bang with a hard puncher who loves to attack the body. If Morrell uses his height and reach advantages and keeps Khataev from working on the inside, he can dictate distance and outbox an opponent who is technically sound, yet not as athletic, diverse or fast as him. Morrell welcomed danger by exchanging with Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs), whose right hand buzzed Morrell in the 4th round.

What it means if he wins: That Morrell learned lessons from his first defeat and applied that knowledge in the type of risky fight many contenders would’ve avoided after suffering their first loss. Morrell has all the physical capabilities to become a 175-pound champion. Now he must prove he has the mental makeup to beat a powerful opponent some experts have compared, however hyperbolic it might be, to another Chechen knockout artist, former undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.

What they’re saying: “[Fighting Benavidez] was a great experience. But one of the biggest takeaways, the biggest lessons, was sticking to the game plan that we worked on [with trainer Ronnie Shields] from day one in camp and executing that on fight night. And I’m gonna look to do that on July 12th.” – David Morrell Jr.

TV/Steam: DAZN Pay-Per-View; $59.99 in the U.S. (6 p.m. ET); £24.99 in the UK (11 p.m. BST).