Benn was provisionally suspended after two failed doping tests ahead of his scheduled bout with Chris Eubank Jr in 2022, but after a lengthy battle, the UK National Anti-Doping Panel has ruled in Benn’s favour and reversed the decision to suspend the welterweight.
Now he’s determined to hit the ground running as he sets his sights on the best welterweights on the planet.
Chatting to DAZN’s Chris Mannix ahead of the Jaron Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian bout in Philadelphia at the weekend, Benn said he was glad to finally put his battles with the authorities behind him and get back to focusing on fights inside the ring.
Conor Benn happy to put doping suspension battle behind him
“It’s completely over,” he said.
“It’s a blessing for me to be able to say I’ve been cleared of any wrongdoing – not once, not twice, but three times. And I’m excited to get my career back on the road.
“It’s been a long time coming. It’s been a long two years before hell and back. But I’m ready to remind everybody that I’m the best at 147 on the planet, and I’m ready to prove that.”
Benn was in Philadelphia to run the rule over IBF world champion Ennis, who successfully defended his 147-pound title with a unanimous decision victory over Chukhadzhian. And the Englishman said he’d be more than happy to face Ennis, though the desire to fight for the WBC title is also strong.
Conor Benn hopes to win WBC welterweight title by facing winner of Mario Barrios vs. Abel Ramos
The WBC belt is currently held by Mario Barrios, who will look to make the first defence of his WBC belt when he faces Abel Ramos on the undercard of the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson bout in Arlington, Texas on Friday night. And from his comments to Mannix, it seems like a fight for the famous green WBC belt is at the top of Benn’s wish list.
“For me personally, I want the world title, the WBC world title,” he stated.
“That’s the winner of Barrios and (Abel) Ramos. That’s a fight I really want. If Jaron Ennis wants to fight at 147, I’m number two, he’s number one. We can get that on. He’s a great fighter, he’s one of the best to do it.
“You want to challenge yourself against the best. That’s what we’re in this game to do, to challenge ourselves against the best. To claim that number one spot. I’ve been about that number-one spot for a long time. I’ve got to make up for lost time. Barrios, Ennis, any of them who’s got the belts. I want it.”
Conor Benn still ready to face Chris Eubank Jr.
Benn may have his sights firmly set on championship gold at 147 pounds, but he admitted that, if the much-discussed matchup with Chris Eubank Jr. did come to fruition, he’d be more than happy to take that before mounting his assault on the welterweight elite.
“Listen, if Eubank wants it, and he doesn’t muck about – and he really wants it – he can get it. I’ll come up to 160, give him a good beating, drop back down to 147, and challenge for the world titles.
“I’m confident in that fight not going past four rounds, but we can put it aside for a minute. 147 (pound) world titles, that’s what I want. The WBC world title is the dream belt, and that for me is what’s next. I’ll go straight into a 147 fight, no warm-up. I don’t need it.”
