Conor Benn has revealed plans to return to welterweight after Saturday’s grudge match with Chris Eubank Jnr.

The bitterest of rivals are to fight at the 160lbs middleweight limit favored by Eubank Jnr, over two years after the cancellation of the date in October 2022 that had been agreed at a catchweight of 157lbs.

Benn, 28, is a career welterweight but hasn’t fought at or under the 147lbs limit since his stoppage of South Africa’s Chris van Heerden in April 2022. 

It was thereafter that terms were agreed with his fellow Briton Eubank Jnr, and that their fight was cancelled when it emerged that Benn had twice tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Benn losing his licence to box in the UK until earlier in 2025 as a consequence contributed to him twice fighting in the U.S. between that cancellation and terms with Eubank Jnr again being agreed. He fought, and defeated, Mexico’s Rodolfo Orozco and Peter Dobson at junior middleweight, but before Saturday’s date was finalized had been in contention to challenge WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, and his plans suggest that that fight may yet be revived.

Rumors persist that Barrios could yet be matched with the retired Manny Pacquiao – another opponent Benn’s promoter, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, has previously speculated about him fighting. Hearn also promotes the WBA and IBF champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis, but appears to favor matching Ennis with Brian Norman Jnr, the WBO champion, next, potentially indicating that a fight with Barrios remains in Benn’s plans.

That Benn remains so marketable an opponent would mean a first defeat by Eubank Jnr – who is widely recognized as a considerably bigger fighter, and not least because he has won high-profile fights at 168lbs – may do little to harm his appeal for his welterweight rivals. That picture regardless may yet be complicated by the existence of a rematch clause in the contract for Saturday’s fight, which is to be staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. 

“I will drop back down to 147,” Benn told DAZN at Wednesday’s media workouts. “I will go back down to 147, yeah – no doubt. 

“It’s hard [making 147lbs], but I’m enjoying not killing myself dieting [for 160lbs]. Ultimately, I’ve adapted well to the sparring – rather than trying to match their strength or size, I use what I’ve got.”

Benn, the most emotional of fighters, otherwise again attempted to give little away. He consistently struggled to maintain his emotions when the press conferences to announce Saturday’s date were staged. The 35-year-old Eubank Jnr, by comparison, is among the most calculated. Benn’s demeanor, as at Tuesday’s grand arrivals, may even have indicated that his trainer Tony Sims has encouraged him to retain his composure; Hearn, similarly, has already urged him not to waste energy before he makes his way to the ring.

“Just lapping it up,” Benn also said. “Enjoying it, man. Excited to be back on these shores. 

“I don’t think nothing of it at all. He’s an opponent, and that’s it.

“Do you know what pressure is? A 19-year-old kid moving from Australia to the UK, walking out to a packed O2 Arena with no amateur background [as Benn did in 2016]. That’s pressure. 

“Every fighter dreams of getting to this stage. I’ve worked extremely hard. This is 10 years [of work]. I’ve done it too many times now. This is who I am – I live for this. I don’t feel no pressure at all. I’m gonna go in there and do what I do. 

“I wish I was fighting tonight. This is all just long. I just want to get in there now – that’s it, really. I’ll get hold of him at some stage – ultimately he’s gonna get it, regardless.

“Ten years ago, when I first turned pro, did I ever think I’d end up here? Nah. But I am here, I’m built for it; I feel ready for it. I’m loving the challenge of fighting at 160lbs. I’m loving the competition.

“It’s another fight – that’s how I’m looking at it. He’s another opponent in my way, trying to crush my dreams, take food off my plate, and render me unconscious. No doubt, I’ll be ready to go. But I get myself going.”

Like so many professional fighters, he then contradicted himself when he proceeded to describe their fight as “personal”. He and Eubank Jnr had also by then already exchanged a lengthy stare down. 

“It’s always personal,” he said. “I’m not angry all the time, but when it comes down to fighting it’s always personal. It’s just the way I am – I can’t punch without intensity. I have to fight. I thrive off the fear of losing. That’s what gets me out of bed. I don’t want to lose. 

“One, I don’t like him. Two, the family feud; the family name. It’s always personal. Always.

“He’s got experience, and he’s bigger. That’s as far as I go with [his strengths].

“There ain’t no game plan. Go in there and take his head off – that’s it.”

That Saturday’s fight is certain to be one of the biggest of 2025 owes much to the rivalry that existed between the fighters’ fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Snr, that did so much to captivate the UK in the 1990s.

Nigel will be by his son’s side. Eubank Snr, involved in a long-term feud with his son and apparently desperate to seize on every available opportunity to remind the world of his existence – regardless of whether that means him criticizing his son – will, he insists, not be.

“I’m so sad,” he told Sky Sports. “I wish Chris was there, ‘cause at the end of the day it’s a family affair. You’ve got one dad – I don’t like to see that with a father and son. Sort out your issues behind closed doors and make up, mate. I wish Chris Eubank did not slag off his son publicly. He’s not a disgrace. He’s done really well for himself. It shouldn’t be like that – saying that in public about your son. Get your head sorted out, mate. I’m sad about that. I wish Chris could see that he’s gotta back his son whatever he does, and not keep saying that the fight’s not going to happen. It is going to happen.”

Nigel, as emotional as his son and as confident in his son’s chances of victory as the stoic Eubank Jnr is in his own, said of Conor:  “He don’t need nothing from me. He’s been sparring with [IBF 168lbs champion] William Scull; Denzel Bentley; [Bruno Sarace]. These weren’t middleweights, they were super middleweights and light heavies. 

“After the sparring with William Scull, I was kissing me son – my little boy – me and Tony [Sims] went, ‘What the frigging hell just happened?’ Oh my gosh’. Bossing them all around, no disrespect to none of them. But this is a guy who’s moved up two weights – doing it easy with these big guys that are world-ranked. Conor’s 100 per cent on the money – not like [Eubank Jnr], 60 per cent. He don’t need no advice for me.

“Conor’s one of these old fighters that can do 15 rounds. When he was sparring with Scull he was upping the pace. He was meant to do 10 rounds and [Scull] only managed seven-and-a-half. It will not go past four rounds.

“Once you’ve lost your chin, you can’t replace it. [Eubank Jnr’s is] gone – and you’ll see on Saturday night.”

Why, if he is so convincing at middleweight, would he be so determined to move back down?