Conor Benn Pushes for March Clash With Barrios, but His Weight Drain and Ryan Garcia’s Star Power Make the Outcome Far From Certain

Conor Benn hopes to problem WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in March in hopes of capturing his first world title following his victory over Chris Eubank Jr. on November fifteenth.

Turki Might Determine Every little thing

Benn has competitors for Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs), as Ryan Garcia is reportedly occupied with that combat. If Turki Alalshikh is concerned, he’s received a wonderful shot at combating Barrios. Finally, it may come right down to Turki on whether or not Ryan or Benn will get the combat towards Mario Barrios.

The 29-year-old Benn (24-1, 14 KOs) is able to return to the 147-pound division, which he hasn’t fought at in three years. The final time he competed at welterweight was towards Chris van Heerden on April 16, 2022, wiping out the overmatched journeyman in two rounds.

Eubank Win Comes With an Asterisk

It’s questionable whether or not Conor can take the burden off with out lacking or being drained. That was the situation Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KOs) was in final Saturday after coping with the double whammy of a 10-lb rehydration clause with a ceiling of 170 lbs and combating at middleweight, a division under his pure weight class of 168.

For Benn, it was the right handicap for him to get a victory. He wound up successful by the scores 119-107, 116-110, and 118-108. Nevertheless, Benn’s face seemed badly overwhelmed, a lot worse than Eubank Jr’s. He not solely didn’t combat a real middleweight, but additionally confronted a weight-drained, outdated fighter at 36. If Benn needed to combat one of many high quality 160-pounders, like Janibek Alimkhanuly, Carlos Adames, or Yoenli Hernandez, it might have ended badly for him final Saturday night time.

“He [Benn]’d be a a lot larger combat for Barrios by way of industrial enchantment coming off that vast win on the weekend, so it will make way more sense for Mario,” stated Benn’s lawyer Lee Emptage to Sky Sports activities.

Stadium Combat Desires for 2026

Moreover that combat, Conor Benn is occupied with a stadium combat within the second half of 2026. Emptage says “towards the likes of a Ryan Garcia or Gervonta Davis.”

If Turki will get concerned, Benn has received likelihood of getting a type of two names. It will be a bizarre hybrid kind of combat, although, making YouTuber-esque if Ryan Garcia is the one which Benn will get. Neither fighter is seen as true world-class by followers.

Gervonta could be the extra respectable goal, however he’s not a welterweight. It will be a large dimension distinction between Benn and Tank Davis, particularly if Conor rehydrates to 170 lbs after the weigh-in. In case your Tank, you’d need a 10-lb rehydration clause within the contract for a combat towards Benn to make sure he’s not combating at tremendous middleweight or mild heavyweight on the night time of the combat.

“I don’t understand how lengthy I could make 147 for. It’s going to be laborious, in fact, making 147-lbs,” stated Benn to Sky Sports activities. “It’s the belt I’d like to win. It will be some second for me.

It will be extra brave on Benn’s half to combat the winner of this Saturday’s combat between WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. and Devin Haney. If Conor desires to observe in his well-known father, Nigel Benn’s footsteps, going through the winner of the Norman Jr.-Haney combat could be the best way to go. Nevertheless, Benn hasn’t proven the type of expertise that might allow him to beat both of these two.

Draining again right down to 147 goes to go away Benn skeletal, weak, and straightforward prey for both of these two.