Conor Benn hopes to challenge WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in March in the hope of capturing his first world title following his win over Chris Eubank Jr. on November 15.
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 has an excellent chance to fight Barrios. Ultimately, it could come down to Turki 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, where he hasn’t fought in three years. The last time he competed at welterweight was against Chris van Heerden on April 16, 2022, obliterating the over-claimed craftsman in two rounds.
Eubank Win comes with an asterisk
It is doubtful that Conor can make the weight without missing or being drained. This was the condition in which Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KOs) last Saturday was after dealing with the double whammy of a 10-lb rehydration clause with a 170-pound ceiling and fighting at middleweight, a division below his natural weight class of 168.
For Benn it was the perfect handicap for him to achieve victory. He ended up winning with the scores 119-107, 116-110 and 118-108. However, Benn’s face looked badly beaten, much worse than Eubank Jr.’s. Not only was he not fighting a true middleweight, but he was facing 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 might have ended badly for him last Saturday night.
“He (Benn) would be a much bigger fight for Barrios in terms of commercial appeal because of that big win this weekend, so it would make a lot more sense for Mario,” Benn’s lawyer Lee Emptage said. 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 a good chance of getting one of those two names. It would be a weird hybrid type fight though, make YouTuber-like if Ryan Garcia is the one who gets Benn. No fighter is considered truly world class by fans.
Gervonta would be the more respectable target, but he’s not a welterweight. That would be a massive size difference between Benn and Tank Davis, especially if Conor rehydrates to 170 pounds after the weigh-in. If you’re tanking, you want a 10-lb rehydration clause in the contract for a fight against Benn to ensure he’s not fighting super middleweight or light heavyweight on the night of the fight.
“I don’t know how long I can make 147. It’s obviously going to be difficult to make 147 pounds,” Benn told Sky Sports. “This is the belt I would love to win. It would be a moment for me.
It will be braver on Benn’s part to fight the winner of this Saturday’s fight between WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. and fighting Devin Haney. If Conor wants to follow in the footsteps of his famous father, Nigel Benn, the winner of the Norman Jr.-Haney fight will be the way to go. However, Benn hasn’t shown the kind of talent that would allow him to beat either of those two.
Draining back to 147 is going to leave Benn skeletal, weak and easy prey for one of those two.
Last updated on 18/11/2025
