Conor Benn has confirmed reports that terms have been agreed for him to face Chris Eubank Jr next.
The undefeated welterweight’s career has been in limbo since the news of two failed doping tests broke days before he was set to face Eubank last year.
The fight was pulled, but talks have restarted recently as Benn expects his UKAD doping case to reach it conclusion in the coming weeks.
Should the result forbid him from fighting in the UK, the fight will be pursued for Abu Dhabi with a tentative date of September 23 this year.
Speaking to Boxing Social, Benn confirmed that both men were in – even despite Eubank previously intending to rematch Liam Smith, whom he lost to in January.
“I trust my team … They know what I’m happy with, they know the numbers I want and they’re able to negotiate on my behalf. And that’s all been agreed. The numbers have all been sorted.”
“We’ve both agreed, we both want the fight. Until it’s all signed on the dotted line and we’re in that ring you can never be too sure.”
The 26-year-old confirmed the fight would take place at the middleweight limit of 160lbs, and not the previous 157lbs catchweight. Moving up two divisions doesn’t faze him.
“After watching him at 160 [in the Smith fight] he’ll be bang in trouble. Thank God the fight got called off.”
“A fight’s a fight. I’m sparring super middles, light heavies in the gym. It don’t really concern me at all. You can only go off sparring … I’m sparring cruiserweights in Mexico. What I look at is, yeah, can I absorb the shot? Will I have to absorb the shots a lot more? Of course I will.”
“There’s nothing that he can do that I can’t handle.”
Benn said that his ideal location would be Wembley Stadium, but that it was dependant on UKAD’s verdict.
“I’d like it at Wembley, but until all this is resolved – which should be very soon, a couple weeks getting the all clear – I’ll fight anywhere.”
Finally, he said that the year’s wait for the family-feud-fight won’t stop it being over very quickly.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I knock him out in the first round to be honest … The was I put my punches together in the first round I’ll be very confident in getting the stoppage. “
It’s expected that an official announcement surrounding the fight will come not long after the verdict from UKAD.