Following on from his win over Peter Dobson at the weekend, Conor Benn has been linked to a clash with Gervonta Davis, but ‘The Destroyer’ has admitted that there is an alternative option that is his ‘number one choice’.
Benn once again went the distance in a second consecutive bout in the United States since returning from an eighteen-month lay-off.
His ongoing dispute with the BBBofC makes a return to the United Kingdom unlikely for Benn for the time being for least, opening the door for a showdown with ‘Tank’ Davis across the pond, which seems to have interest from both parties.
However, in an interview with Boxing Social, Benn announced that his ideal next opponent would be Mario Barrios, who was knocked out by Davis in round 11 of a super-lightweight affair back in 2021 in a bout for the WBA (Regular) 140lb title.
“Aside from that idiot Eubank, who I can’t be a**ed negotiating with and all of that, I’d probably go for [Mario] Barrios, he is my number one. If we can make it, I would love that fight next.”
Barrios picked up a second career loss against Keith Thurman as he attempted to bounce back from defeat to Davis but has since returned with back-to-back wins over Jovanie Santiago and Yordenis Ugas, with the latter being for the WBC interim welterweight title.
A win over Barrios would leave Benn well poised for a shot at either Terence Crawford or a possibly vacant full WBC title, although the allure of a contest against a pay-per-view star like Davis could derail those plans.