Conor Benn got a chance to fight for the world title just days after Ryan Garcia’s loss.
Conor Benn has been told he could jump straight to a title fight against Denzel Bentley for the WBO middleweight championship when he returns to boxing.
Benn recently lost by technical knockout (TKO) to Ryan Garcia, the current WBC welterweight champ, in Nevada on Saturday night. Garcia knocked Benn down, and even though Benn got up, he ended up trapped in the corner before the referee stopped the fight in the second round.
Afterwards, the 29-year-old, who is signed with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, said he’s not sure what his boxing future looks like right now.
Benn had to lose a lot of weight to make the welterweight limit for the fight with Garcia. He weighed 146lbs at the weigh-in and then gained 32lbs back in the 12 hours before the fight through rehydration. Welterweight maxes out at 147lbs, but the middleweight limit is much higher at 160lbs.
If Benn decides to come back as a middleweight, he’s been offered a chance to fight Bentley for the WBO title.
“I think Conor’s name and profile are big enough to skip the usual step-by-step path,” Bentley told Sky Sports. “It might seem unfair, but that’s how the sport works. It’s good for me too, especially financially. I’d definitely take that fight. We’ve always gotten along well, but if he moves up to 160lbs, he goes from a friend to a challenger.
“I think Benn should take his time to rest and recover first. That big weight cut was almost a fight on its own. If he moves up to 160lbs and wants a real challenge, I’m sure we can talk.
“At 160lbs, he’ll feel stronger. But I’m a good puncher, and I saw some weaknesses in his game that night that I could take advantage of.”
Bentley, from London, has a pro record of 22 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw at middleweight. He lost a WBO title fight against Janibek Alimkhanuly in November 2022 but won the vacant title by beating Endry Saavedra by TKO at the O2 Arena in April. He hasn’t defended his belt yet.
After his loss to Garcia, Benn shared on Instagram that he plans to take a break from boxing to spend more time with his family.
He wrote, “People keep asking, ‘What’s next for Conor Benn?’ The truth is, I don’t know. I’ve trained hard and given everything every time I stepped into the ring. I’ve always wanted to give fans unforgettable fights because they spend their hard-earned money to watch us.
“But giving my all comes with a cost. The people who pay that cost most are my family and kids. They’ve missed time with me so I could chase this dream. They’ve had to share me with this sport my whole life.
“So when people ask what’s next, the answer is simple—time with my kids.”