Conor Benn gets ready to face Chris Eubank Jr. on April 26 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The 27-year-old boxer wants to show how much he's grown as a fighter in this highly-anticipated match.
Benn hasn't fought much in the last three years. He tested positive for a banned substance, which kept him out of the ring. But now he's been cleared to fight in the UK again. He's had two low-key wins on points in the US recently.
Before all this, Benn was known for his aggressive style. He beat some good fighters like Chris Algieri, Samuel Vargas, and Chris van Heerden. Most of his wins came by knockout rather than on points.
But there's one fighter who gave Benn real trouble - Cedrick Peynaud. They fought twice, in 2017 and 2018, with Benn winning both times on points. Peynaud is the only boxer who's ever knocked Benn down, doing it twice in the first round of their first fight.
Peynaud recently shared his thoughts on Benn's upcoming fight and future. He said:
"Benn has everything he needs to become a world champion."
About the fight with Eubank, Peynaud thinks it'll be tough:
"Eubank will have the weight advantage for me because that's his base weight class. But I think Benn, with his speed, could surprise more than one [person]."
The weight difference is a big deal in this fight. Benn usually fights at 147 pounds, but he's moving up two weight classes to face Eubank at middleweight. To make things fair, Eubank can't gain more than 10 pounds after the weigh-in on the morning of the fight.
Peynaud thinks Benn has a bright future:
"Now we'll see what strategy he implements. But Benn has everything he needs to become a world champion. Whether he'll achieve that goal remains to be seen. In any case, he has all the means and the people around him to push him to that end. God has a plan for everyone; we'll see what his plan is."
The big questions now are: How will Benn handle fighting at a heavier weight? And how will the weight limit affect Eubank? We'll find out on April 26 when these two step into the ring.
