Conor Benn will fight outside of the UK again next year after being told by the British Boxing Board of Control he won’t be licensed.
The move comes after the welterweight attempted to fight Chris Eubank Jr. in London on February 3.
Eubank pulled out of the deal when BBBofC Secretary Robert Smith confirmed Benn wouldn’t get licensed to fight following two failed drug tests.
Conor Benn to fight outside of the UK
“Although it’s a sport, we don’t deal with teams, we deal with individuals. And sometimes people look after themselves rather than the sport in general, which is slightly disappointing,” Smith told talkSPORT.
“I understand why they do it. But no, I don’t think he should be boxing. Personally, I don’t think he should be boxing until this matter is cleared.
“Hopefully, that’ll be done as soon as possible. He hasn’t cleared it [his name]. There are a number of issues that are still outstanding, which everybody’s aware of.
“We’ve decided to appeal a decision. Once the appeal has taken place, we’ll take it on board from there.
“But when Eddie says he’s cleared his name, according to us, we haven’t had an explanation of how the positive test came about. So I don’t quite agree with Eddie on that one.”
The Brighton man had stated a big part of whether the fight happens would hinge on Benn being cleared by the British authorities.
However, he wasn’t, despite claims from Benn and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, that a thumbs up from the World Boxing Council was enough. The WBC had suggested too many eggs could be the reason for two instances of clomiphene in Benn’s system in two separate tests.
Benn also faced a suspension but had a temporary BBBofC block lifted by the National Anti-Doping Panel.
But that still doesn’t mean the British Board exonerated Benn. He could still face a ban if the British Board is not satisfied in the future.
Who will Conor Benn fight next?
The USA, Spain and Saudi Arabia are strong frontrunners to host in terms of who, when, and where Benn will fight next. Spain has extensive ties to the Benn family through Conor’s father, Nigel.
Saudi Arabia would also make sense with the number of big fights in the region. February 3 could stay on the table. But an also-ran opponent ranked in the top two hundred is a likely target.
Rodolfo Orozco, ranked 215, was easily defeated back in September on US soil despite the UK Board rejecting the notion of Benn fighting without clearing his name.
A similar kind of foe is expected before a more significant effort in the spring.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer and has been the Editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
