Decades of familial enmity will underpin a peculiar rivalry all of their own when Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn meet to settle the score in London on April 26.
The sons of British boxing greats Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn clash in a 12-round middleweight contest, more than three decades on from their fathers’ era-defining bouts.
They were originally slated to meet in October 2022 before news broke that Benn had failed a drug test during fight week.
It later emerged Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) had tested positive for clomiphene twice in 2022, and there followed a protracted battle with the authorities in the UK. The 28-year-old maintains he never knowingly took banned substances and he has been licensed by the British Boxing Board of Control for this contest.
WATCH: Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn, live on DAZN
Benn is stepping up from his usual division of welterweight to take on Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs), who missed the 160-pound limit by half an ounce at Friday’s weigh-in to lumber himself with a $500,000 fine.
Talk of being weight-drained surrounded Eubank’s most recent defeat, to a foe who takes a prime place on an undercard packed with British talent.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
MORE: Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn prediction, odds: Expert pick for 2025 British boxing grudge match
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn undercard
Here’s a breakdown of all the action on the Eubank Jr. vs. Benn card.
Liam Smith vs. Aaron McKenna
- Division/Weight: Middleweight
- Smith record: 33-4-1
- McKenna record: 19-0
- Belts at stake: N/A
Liam Smith (33-4-1) was initially the main beneficiary of the October 2022 Eubank-Benn debacle. With a disgraced Conor out of commission and fighting to clear his name, Eubank and his broadcaster needed a high-profile dance partner.
In came former light middleweight world champion Smith, who shockingly demolished Junior within four rounds, handing him the first stoppage loss of his career. But the Liverpudlian struggled with injury and weight issues before the rematch, where Eubank meted out a 10-round beatdown.
Now 36, Smith faces a tough task on his first assignment since that bitterly disappointing night 19 months ago. Irishman Aaron McKenna (19-0) is younger, fresher and punching with authority. His past two wins have come inside the distance and he travelled to Japan to take Jeovanny Estela’s unbeaten record last time out.
Anthony Yarde vs. Lyndon Arthur
- Division/Weight: Light Heavyweight
- Yarde record: 26-3-0
- Arthur record: 24-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
There have been some clunky attempts to label Eubank Jr. vs. Benn a trilogy bout given the two seismic contests their fathers shared, but this light heavyweight contest is a genuine rubber match.
Manchester’s Lyndon Arthur (26-3-0) stunned Anthony Yarde (24-2) when his masterful jab plotted a path to a December 2020 split decision win. Heavy-handed Londoner Yarde claimed a destructive fourth-round KO when they reconvened a year later.
They have each lost once apiece since, in the esteemed company of Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, respectively. The fact that Arthur seemed to have little ambition other than going the distance with Bivol, while Yarde engaged in a thrilling slugfest with Beterbiev, shows how styles can make fights. It might also say something about the two fighters’ level of ambition when they meet to settle to score for good on Saturday night.
Viddal Riley vs. Cheavon Clarke
- Division/Weight: Cruiserweight
- Riley record: 12-0
- Clarke record: 10-1
- Belts at stake: BBBofC Cruiserweight title
A potential fight of the night, there is little to split Viddal Riley and Cheavon Clarke in this battle for 200-pound glory in the UK.
Clarke (10-1) defends the crown he won when he impressively stopped Ellis Zorro in May last year, although his subsequent bid to win European gold ended in a first career defeat to France’s Leonardo Mosquea, who decked ‘C4’ in the opener round and claimed a split-decision verdict.
Riley (12-0) is the English champion and a man who turned his back on a potential career in influencer boxing to do things the old-fashioned way.
Chris Billam-Smith vs. Brandon Glanton
- Division/Weight: Cruiserweight
- Billam-Smith record: 20-2
- Glanton record: 20-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
Former world champion Chris Billam-Smith begins another pitch for the top of the cruiserweight division against American knockout artist Brandon Glanton.
Billam-Smith (20-2) is back in action following his brave and bruising unification bid against Mexico’s Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez last November.
Glanton (20-2) is on a three-fight KO streak since back-to-back points defeats against David Light and Soslan Asbarov. He enjoyed success on the road last time out, travelling to Moscow to stop Aleksei Egorov in the penultimate round.
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn tune-in info
- Date: Saturday, April 26
- Time: 5 p.m. BST
- Main event start time (approx.): 10 p.m. BST
- Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Tottenham, England
- Live Stream: DAZN
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn will be available on DAZN worldwide.
In the UK. A DAZN monthly subscription costs £9.99 on a 12-month contract or £19.99 month-to-month. An annual subscription will cost £99.99. The PPV price for the event will be £19.95. A 7-day no-commitment free trial is still part of the PPV buy. The fight is also available to purchase on Sky Sports Box Office for the same price.
