Conor Benn has revealed that a high-profile showdown against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao could materialize in the early part of 2027, as the British contender looks to rebuild his career following a punishing weight cut and a devastating defeat in Las Vegas.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports, Benn disclosed that he was formally offered a lucrative December bout with the iconic eight-division world champion. However, the physical toll of draining down to the welterweight limit—combined with the lingering effects of his September stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia and the recent birth of his newborn son—made a December turnaround impossible.
Despite being unable to accept the winter timeline, Benn remains intensely interested in the matchup and hopes to restart negotiations for a clash with Pacquiao during the first quarter of 2027.
"He’s an all-time legend. He’s an eight-division world champion, he’ll go down in the history books," Benn told Sky Sports, reflecting on the stature of the Filipino icon before offering a glimpse into his future plans. "Another stadium show sounds nice."
Detailing the missed opportunity for the winter, Benn explained that the timing simply did not align with his recovery and personal life. "I know the Pacquiao fight was offered to me for December. And I wasn’t ready to get the fight done in December. But if he wants it Q1 next year, we can do Pacquiao," he revealed.
"The fight got presented to me for December and it was just too soon, making weight, got a newborn son, so for me it was really about spending time with my family."
With those personal priorities addressed and a firm commitment to staying active, Benn insists he is ready to enter discussions for the opening months of next year. "If Q1, he wants to get it on again, I’m interested," he said. "Always in the gym, always working, if he wants it Q1 next year, we can do it, no problem."
The pathway toward a potential bout with Pacquiao represents a fresh horizon for Benn, who is still coming to terms with the first major setback of his professional career. In September, fighting in his maiden world title challenge, Benn faced WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas. The bout ended abruptly when Garcia dropped the Briton heavily in the second round, prompting the referee to step in and wave off the contest, handing Benn a harsh stoppage loss.
Reflecting on the painful night in Nevada, Benn did not shy away from the reality of the defeat. "It’s a hard pill to swallow," Benn acknowledged. "To give 100 per cent in everything I do, I always want to be victorious. No one likes losing. You always want to come first place. So for me it’s just one of those things, you go swimming, you get wet. And I always said I want to be in exciting fights and if I get caught, I get caught."
Although Garcia landed a punishing blow that sent him crashing to the canvas, Benn was back on his feet by the time the referee intervened. Rather than protesting the stoppage or blaming official intervention, Benn displayed sportsmanship and a pragmatic attitude toward the official’s decision to protect him from further punishment.
"It’s hard to say. I mean, listen I respect the referee and it’s the referee’s job to keep the fighter safe," he noted. "Obviously me knowing my style and who I am, would I have liked to let the fight carry on, of course, but I’m not going to argue with the referee, he was there to do his job and he did his job. If he didn’t think I was fit to continue that was his call on the night. Ultimately, as I say, you swimming you get wet. You keep it moving."
The defeat against Garcia also served as a stark wake-up call regarding weight management, forcing Benn to permanently abandon the welterweight division. The grueling process of draining his body to reach the 147lbs limit proved to be a critical factor in his performance, a mistake he vows never to repeat.
"I don’t know what I was thinking making 147lbs. You think right now I’m 185, 186lbs," he candidly noted, highlighting the massive disparity between his walking-around weight and the division limit.
"Making 147, a lot of people said I can’t do it and of course the inner me was: ‘Alright cool, you can’t do it – watch me.’ It’s one thing making the weight and it’s one thing performing at your best at the weight. And you know it showed, I paid the price for chasing greatness."
Looking ahead, Benn has drawn a definitive line under his days as a welterweight and has ruled out even campaigning at light-middleweight as he plots his next strategic move in the sport.
"My future’s at middleweight. I thought about light-middle, there’s nothing in me at light-middle either – that’s how bad the weight cut was," he explained, emphasizing the severe toll that making weight has taken on his physical well-being throughout his career.
Despite the disappointment of September’s result and the physical hardships he endured, Benn refuses to hide behind excuses, offering full credit to his conqueror while maintaining an optimistic outlook on his future inside the squared circle.
"There’s no excuses, Ryan is a phenomenal fighter, caught me with a phenomenal shot and he was the better man on the night," Benn concluded. "I dust it all off, dust the cobwebs off and come back and be a better version of myself."
