Conor Benn hopes to challenge WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in March in hopes of capturing his first world title following his victory over Chris Eubank Jr. on November 15th.
Turki Could Decide Everything
Benn has competition for Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs), as Ryan Garcia is reportedly interested in that fight. If Turki Alalshikh is involved, he’s got an excellent shot at fighting Barrios. Ultimately, it could come down to Turki on whether Ryan or Benn gets the fight against Mario Barrios.
The 29-year-old Benn (24-1, 14 KOs) is ready to return to the 147-pound division, which he hasn’t fought at in three years. The last time he competed at welterweight was against 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 Conor can take the weight off without missing or being drained. That was the condition Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KOs) was in last Saturday after dealing with the double whammy of a 10-lb rehydration clause with a ceiling of 170 lbs and fighting at middleweight, a division below his natural weight class of 168.
For Benn, it was the perfect handicap for him to get a victory. He wound up winning by the scores 119-107, 116-110, and 118-108. However, Benn’s face looked badly beaten, much worse than Eubank Jr’s. He not only didn’t fight a true middleweight, but also faced a weight-drained, old fighter at 36. If Benn had to fight one of the quality 160-pounders, like Janibek Alimkhanuly, Carlos Adames, or Yoenli Hernandez, it may have ended badly for him last Saturday night.
“He [Benn]’d be a much bigger fight for Barrios in terms of commercial appeal coming off that huge win at the weekend, so it would make much more sense for Mario,” said Benn’s lawyer Lee Emptage to Sky Sports.
Stadium Fight Dreams for 2026
Besides that fight, Conor Benn is interested in a stadium fight in the second half of 2026. Emptage says “against the likes of a Ryan Garcia or Gervonta Davis.”
If Turki gets involved, Benn has got a good chance of getting one of those two names. It would be a weird hybrid type of fight, though, making YouTuber-esque if Ryan Garcia is the one that Benn gets. Neither fighter is seen as true world-class by fans.
Gervonta would be the more respectable target, but he’s not a welterweight. It would be a massive size difference between Benn and Tank Davis, especially if Conor rehydrates to 170 lbs after the weigh-in. If your Tank, you’d want a 10-lb rehydration clause in the contract for a fight against Benn to ensure he’s not fighting at super middleweight or light heavyweight on the night of the fight.
“I don’t know how long I can make 147 for. It’s going to be hard, of course, making 147-lbs,” said Benn to Sky Sports. “It’s the belt I would love to win. It would be some moment for me.
It would be more courageous on Benn’s part to fight the winner of this Saturday’s fight between WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. and Devin Haney. If Conor wants to follow in his famous father, Nigel Benn’s footsteps, facing the winner of the Norman Jr.-Haney fight would be the way to go. However, Benn hasn’t shown the kind of talent that would enable him to beat either of those two.
Draining back down to 147 is going to leave Benn skeletal, weak, and easy prey for either of those two.