Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn have their date with destiny tonight when they renew their family feud three decades after their fathers last met in the ring.
Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn fought twice, first in 1990 and then again three years later, with Eubank winning the first meeting before the second was scored a controversial draw. Now their sons will meet in front of more than 65,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight.
Fight week has been full of drama after Eubank Jr was fined £375,000 yesterday for coming in 0.05lb heavier than the 160lb middleweight limit. But he successfully weighed in at 169.4lb this morning – under the 170lb limit of the controversial rehydration clause.
The two fighters are expected to walk to the ring at around 9.45pm tonight with the fight getting underway shortly after 10pm. The fight is being streamed on DAZN but you can follow all the action right here…
‘CBS’ will be a little happier with the previous round. Can he keep it up here? A quick clinch to start proceedings in round seven, but the pair are quickly separated. The Bournemouth fighter lands a brutal uppercut, followed by two more. The American has a chin on him, to be fair! Nice shot from Glanton drops the American but it’s been deemed as a slip. His choice in footwear isn’t serving Brandon well.
Two ripping body shots fro Billam-Smith lands. They were sickening shots! The Brit comes forward with another right hand. Glanton is refusing to back down as he’s throwing with intent. The body shots these last few rounds from ‘CBS’ have been spot on as we approach the end of the round. Can the Brit start to control the final few rounds? Big right hand from Glanton lands as soon as the bell sounds – Chris doesn’t seem to affected by it, though.
Billam-Smith is starting to tire here. Interesting to see if this smaller ring is affecting him a tad. Does he have it in him to go into deep waters? Given his track record, he does, but Glanton has come to fight. The American races to the middle of the ring as he looks to get the jab going. It’s clear that Glanton’s gameplan is to be the aggressor and it’s affecting the Brit. Good combination from Brand Glanton yet again…. he’s not slowing down at all!
‘CBS’ needs to gain some sort of composure again. He had success in the early rounds, but he’s been on the backfoot over the last few rounds. Nice shot from Billam-Smith, however, with just over a minute to go. The Brit is still breathing heavy but fires an uppercut followed by a right that’s got his corner excited. Chris has gained a little bit of momentum as he’s finding these quality punches. Great first half here in north London.
Here we go into round five as we approach the midway point. Billam-Smith lands a few jabs to get the round going, he’s trying to move quickly and establish a little bit of control. But once again, it’s clear that Glanton is wanting to make it a scrappy contest. Ripping shots to the body from Chris against the ropes. But the pair meet in the middle as Glanton tries to get a few shots in the pocket.
‘CBS’ letting his hands go, but Glanton doesn’t seem to be too fazed by them. Billam-Smith lands a hard shot, but Glanton returns fire with an explosive shot followed by a right hand over the top as we head into the sixth round. Cracking from both men.
There’s some slight bruising around Billam-Smith’s left eye. It’ll be interesting to see if it gets any worse as we approach the later rounds of the fight. But back underway here in London as both men once again trade leather in the centre of the ring. Right hand lands from the Brit… he needed that. A ripping shot to the body lands from the Bournemouth brawler.
But Glanton has his rival against the ropes – with both men now trading left hooks. The intensity from both men has been a joy to watch so far. Lovely jab from Glanton with just over a minute to go. A bit scrappy here towards the back end of the round. Glanton once again pushes his foe against the ropes as we head into round five.
What a fiery start to the fight here in north London! Once again Glanton is quick to work the body… Billam-Smith looks a tad tired here, but he’s still pressing forward as the Brit fires away with a few shots to the body. Left hook nearly takes Billam-Smith off his feet. Chris is starting to breathe heavy here and is having to dig deep. Glanton is starting to have some fun here in the ring.
Good combination from the American who is digging down on these shots, but Billam-Smith fires back with a big right hand. Don’t take your eyes off of this one as we hear the bell. Amazing fight so far here at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Will both men keep up the same intensity here? We’re about to find out… Billam-Smith comes out swinging again, but Glanton is clearly up for a good scrap here and is refusing to back down, trading his own hard and clean shots upstairs. Good uppercut lands from the Brit, but the pair quickly clinch again. Billam-Smith is working the body nicely here, but Glanton catches his foe in return.
Right hands lands from Billam-Smith… both men trading blows. Great to see here. The Bournemouth native lands yet another tidy uppercut, one minute to go. A couple of body shots, followed by a shot upstairs from the American as Glanton is really growing into it. There’s no way they can keep this up for 12 rounds…. Glanton lands a great left hook towards the back end of the round followed by a sharp right up-top. ANOTHER great round.
A crucial fight for Billam-Smith here as he so desperately needs a win against his energetic rival in Glanton. A crunch crusierweight dust-up here in north London. The pair rush to the centre of the ring as Glanton immediately gets the jab going in an attempt to get under his foes skin.
No feeling out process here from Brandon…. straight out the blocks! Great work from Billam-Smith inside, though as he returns fire. The pair clinch before they’re quickly separated, but both are quick to hug again. The pair split again and Billam-Smith works the body well as we approach the final minute mark of the round. Chris can’t afford to be involved in a dog fight here… Glanton lands a good body shot here which backs the Brit against the ropes…. 30 seconds to go here! Another great body shot for the Bournemouth native as the pair trade in the pocket in the final few seconds of the round. Cracking three minutes!
Our first fight is about to get underway…
Chris Billam-Smith vs Brandon Glanton –
This is a crucial fight for Billam-Smith as it’s his first fight since losing his WBO world title to Gilberto Ramirez at the end of last year, following that painful unanimous decision defeat. The 34-year-old was catapulted into the spotlight following his famous win over Lawrence Okolie in 2023 saw him become a world champion, but he will now have to rebuild against American fighter Glanton, who is an accomplished cruiserweight dubbed “Bulletproof” who has only lost twice. Glanton has won his last three fights by way of knockout and this could be an exciting and explosive match-up between two men who like putting on a show.
Ahead of the fight tonight, both Eubank Jr and Benn weren’t allowed to weigh no more than 170lb at 8am earlier this morning due to the 10lb rehydration clause. Thankfully, both men made the limit, but Carl Froch has shared his concerns about the aforementioned clause.
He said on his official YouTube channel: “Now he’s (Eubank Jr) being unable to rehydrate sufficiently… He was 169.4lb this morning, but my concern there is what did he do to get up to that? Has he been back out on a run? Has he been sweating this morning? Because yesterday, he would’ve replenished himself, but then this morning if he woke up and he’s 13.14 pounds over, he’s not going to want to get fined again.
“We know getting in the ring he will be depleted, like he was against Liam Smith… He’s not the full version of Chris Eubank Jr… Some people are saying he’ll be at his best here cause he’s bigger than Benn. That’s not the case here, because he’ll be dehydrated. He’ll feel dead at the weight after round five or six because he’ll be knackered. You’ve got people like Eddie Hearn saying he’s going to have a stone advantage. There’s no advantage of being a stone heavier (like this), trust me.”
Boxing legend Carl Froch has criticised the contractual terms of Chris Eubank Jr’s upcoming clash with Conor Benn. The bout will take place at middleweight (160lb) – two weight classes above Benn’s natural weight class, welterweight. There was also a rehydration clause of 10lbs for the morning of the fight.
Speaking on his official YouTube channel, the legendary boxer expressed his concern: “Now, Conor Benn makes weight at 156 pounds … Chris Eubank Jr has just missed it. Now, it’s not the fact that he’s missed weight, it’s what I’ve seen since, how he’s tried to make the weight, that I’ve been concerned about.
“He’s been lying in space suits and sleeping bags, drawin every last ounce of fluid out of his body. He would’ve been dieting and training and sweating to get down to 160.2 pounds and then he’s a couple of ounces heavy. The fact that he’s already done his b******* in and he’s still not made weight… the problem with dehydrating the body is not just the fluid from your muscles, it’s the fluid that sits around the brain.”
The event will be streamed live on DAZN pay-per-view in more than 200 countries worldwide. The pay-per-view will cost UK fans £19.95, $24.99 in the US, and €24.99 in Europe. It will also air live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK at a cost of £19.95. Click the link below to buy the fight on DAZN. Fans do not have to be customers of either service to buy tonight’s fight.
The blockbuster event is scheduled to take place live at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The main undercard is scheduled to get underway at around 5pm BST (9am PT / 11am CT / 12pm ET). Benn is set to make the walk to the ring first at around 945pm BST (1.45pm PT / 3.45pm CT / 4.45pm ET) with Eubank Jr set to follow immediately after. The two stars will then touch gloves just after 10pm BST before the first bell sounds. The fight should not start later than this but could be brought forward if the undercard fights are completed earlier than expected.
Given an event of this magnitude, it comes as no surprise to see so many big names who are set to be ringside for the event! Football stars such as Ben Chilwell, Ollie Watkins and Declan Rice are due to be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Noni Madueke will also be ringside. The Chelsea winger played a pivotal role in the Blues’ big 1-0 win at home to Everton earlier today.
Also on the list is none other than Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. As I type this, the Magpies are currently 3-0 up at home to Ipswich. How on earth will Eddie make it in time?! I’m assuming he’ll be travelling privately and in some style in order to make it in time for the main event at least.
Social media stars KSI, IShowSpeed and Maya Jama will also be ringisde tonight!
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Tyson Fury has claimed he does not watch anymore after being asked for his prediction for Chris Eubank Jr’s fight with Conor Benn. Fury announced his retirement from the sport in January, shortly after he was beaten by heavyweight rival Oleksandr Usyk for a second time.
The Gypsy King has remained largely out of the spotlight since retiring and he has refused to make a prediction for the clash between Eubank Jr and Benn when asked for his thoughts on the fight by Ring Magazine.
In response to the question, Fury simply said: “dont watch boxing anymore”. Fury was also asked for a prediction by TNT Sports last year and replied: “It’s a weight category thing, if it’s at 10.5 stone it’s going to be Conor Benn, if it’s at middleweight then probably Chris Eubank Jr.”
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The ceremonial weigh-in is the last time two fighters get to look at each other in the eye before they step in the ring and trade leather. Both Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn went nose-to-nose one final time last night in London ahead of tonight’s dust-up.
And ‘Next Gen’ was quick to send a chilling warning to his foe. “Weight has no relevance,” he said. “I’m going to go in there and stop this guy. All these things are set up to distract and displace and try to get me off track. None of it will work. He’s in for a hell of a surprise. He has no idea the pain in store for him.”
Benn himself was eager to have one final say and admits he has no sympathy for his rival missing weight. “It’s an expensive price to pay but he’s disciplined and should have made the weight,” Benn declared.
“He’s expecting sympathy but won’t get any sympathy around here. I’m a 147 fighter so I’ll go in there and use my speed, my ferocity. I don’t know if I’m supposed to look scared, intimidated. I’m neither. I’m just looking forward to Saturday. I’m here to take his head clean off.”
With the action not that far away, here’s everything you need to know about the timings for tonight’s blockbuster pay-per-view card:
Given how intense the face-off was at the pre-fight press conference, it was inevitable that both men were going to stare each other down ruthlessly at the ceremonial weigh-ins in London last night.
THE FINAL FACE-OFF!
Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are all set to FIGHT!
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Well, Boxing promtoer Ben Shalom certainly thinks so. Given the heated rivalry between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, it comes as no surprise to see so many people worldwide talking about the event.
And Shalom himself is looking forward to all of the action. Speaking to Betfred, he said: “It is the biggest, it will be the biggest and I expect Chris Eubank Jr to do the business. He’s sold the fight really well and been classy throughout the build-up. I think he’s dealt with everything really well because he’s a superstar isn’t he? I can’t wait and I think he’s going to light it up in Tottenham. It will be a phenomenal spectacle. Eubank Jr for the win.”
The stage is set ahead of tonight’s tremendous card. It’s got that big fight feel to it in what promises to be a historic night of boxing.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London will play host to all of the action this evening!
The stage is set@SpursStadium
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Chris Eubank Sr has launched a fresh attack on his son ahead of his showdown with Conor Benn later this evening.
The boxing legend told The Sun: “Junior has never understood what boxing is about. Boxing is about being the chief in the community. The people will look up to you if you achieve what I’m trying to get you to. It isn’t this (money making gesture) I’m trying to get you to.
“I’m trying to get you to the point where the hearts of the people are with you. I’m no longer liked, I’m loved. Why? Because I’ve been a gentleman right the way through on every single subject that has come in front of me.”
He added: “I told my son three years ago, that fight does not happen,’ Eubank Sr said. ‘He is the wrong weight. I told him why it shouldn’t happen and why it will not happen. I was correct last time and I will be correct this time.
“We can’t have any more Michael Watsons. He is the people’s champion. You are getting blinded by this circus put on by these promoters. Barry (Hearn), your son (Eddie Hearn) said there’s real hate now. What hate? It’s just money. There’s no hate.
“The hate is in the promoters’ mindset. I wish you (Chris Jr) would listen but I know you won’t.”
“I think it’s a fight of two halves,” Bellew said when speaking on First Round TV earlier this month.
“My heart always says Conor, I love the kid, he’s a good kid with a good heart. But if this fight goes past six rounds, is a hard night’s work. I should say eight rounds, cause Conor is extremely fit. It’s just when it gets to the stage that weight and size is a factor, it shows.
“But I think Chris Eubank is a terrible boxer, he’s a better fighter than boxer. I’m saying Conor Benn in the first five rounds. I think he’ll catch him and nail him and jump all over him.”
Earlier this week, the boxing icon doubled down on his prediction. “The big thing is how intense and for how long can Conor do it for?” Bellew explained. “I can do it for 12 rounds,” Benn said.
To which Bellew replied: “You won’t lose a single round then. If you can throw a 100 punches a round with the intensity and ferocity, you will not lose a round.”
“I feel prepared. I’ve done everything I possibly can in the gym and left no stone unturned. It’s always personal. Every opponent I fight is personal. People want to say it’s strictly business, but it’s never business. If you’re trying to put your hands on me and render me unconscious, it’s never business. It’s always personal with every single one of my opponents, but this one has a little bit more history to it.”
“This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill. It’s about dedication. It’s about expertise and all those areas in which I excel in. I have many, many more years of experience over Conor Benn, and that will be the deciding factor of the night. The procedure will be parliamentary. That’s the only thing I can say about the outcome of this fight. If everything goes the way I want it to go – I will be like a matador in that ring and Conor Benn will be the bull.”
It’s no secret that since the fight was made official, legendary boxer Chris Eubank Sr has constantly expressed his disapproval of the clash. Eubank Sr insisted that his son would have to boil himself down to make the weight.
The boxing icon had continued to make the headlines and Anthony Crolla has offered his view on the topic of Eubank Sr. Speaking to All Out Fighting on behalf of Freebets.com, he said:
“Senior’s always been his own man. He’s never been shy about giving his opinion. It’s his son, so of course he’s entitled to speak on it. I understand where he’s coming from. But I think everyone hopes he’ll be there on the night, even if he hasn’t supported the fight publicly. Junior seems fine with it either way.”
When asked if Jr would be affected by not having his dad in his corner, Crolla replied: “I don’t think so. Junior’s not the type to be distracted by that. He’s very focused. He’s not someone who needs a big entourage or people around him. I think he’ll be able to block all that out and do his job.”
Former undisputed light-welterweight champion Josh Taylor has called for Chris Eubank Jr’s fight against Conor Benn to be cancelled. Eubank Jr is due to fight Benn at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
The pair were originally set to fight back in 2022, but the bout was scrapped after Benn twice tested positive for the banned substance clomifene. However, the fight is now finally set to take place tonight in a continuation of the legendary rivalry between Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn.
After missing weight, Eubank Jr shared a clip on social media of his attempts to meet the 160lb limit and Taylor has shared his concerns about the effect the weight cut may have on the 35-year-old.
In response to the video, Taylor wrote on social media: “I think it should be called off. Eubank looked terrible & he has a rehydration clause chucked in there on top of that aswell.
“I think this is potentially a very disastrous night for boxing waiting to happen. I desperately hope this is not the case.”
Chris Eubank Jr has spoken up after avoiding a fine for the rehydration clause ahead of his fight with Conor Benn. He came in just under the 170lb limit, at 169.4lb.
“Fight day weigh-in complete,” he wrote on social media. “Rehydration restriction is over. Now all that’s left to do is rock up to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight & make history #EubankBenn.”
On Friday, Eubank Jr had weighed in first at 160.2lb, before tipping the scales at 160.05lb at his second attempt. That brought him a fine of £375,000, which goes to his opponent.
However, by coming in under 170lb on Saturday morning, he won’t get a second financial penalty. Benn was also within the 170lb limit, weighing in at 165lb.
After failing to successfully make the 160lb limit yesterday, Eubank Jr showed off the sheer brutality of the weight cut. The Brit uploaded a few concerning videos to his various social media accounts.
In a series of videos uploaded to his official Instagram page, the Brit can be seen showing off trying to shift the final few pounds ahead of the weigh-ins.
In one of the videos, ‘Next Gen’ can be seen slightly relaxed on the exercise bike working away, while profusely sweating. Another video uploaded to his Instagram story shows the boxing star wrapped up in towels and blankets – looking rather stressed, but determined to make the official weight. The Brit also uploaded the videos to his official X account, along with the caption: “Pain is temporary… Glory is forever.”
Earlier this morning, Chris Eubank Jr weighed in at 169.4lbs, meaning he will avoid another hefty fine. Conor Benn was also inside the limit, scaling 165lb this morning having been 156.4lb yesterday.
On Friday, Eubank Jr came in first at 160.2lb before weighing 160.05lb at his second attempt, meaning he will be fined £375,000 which goes to his opponent. But he appears to have struggled to make today’s 170lb limit, weighing in over an hour after Benn while his cousin Harlem Eubank tweeted: “Tactical rehydration clauses is nasty business.”
Had he weighed in heavy, Eubank Jr would have faced a fine for every pound he was over the limit, and could have had to shell out up to £1million. After the ceremonial weigh-in last night, Eubank Jr appeared to lay the blame for his fine at Benn’s door. “It is what it is,” he said. “If they are going to take $500,000 off me for being 0.05lb off the limit, that’s what it is. That’s the kind of people Eddie Hearn, Conor Benn and Matchroom are. Weight has no relevance to what happens tomorrow night; I’m going to go out there and stop that guy.
“The rehydration clause is still in place so I have to watch what I eat and what I drink, but these things are just there to distract, to displace, to get me off track but none of it will work. He’s in for a hell of a surprise. He thinks he’s going to go out there with a hop, skip and a right hand but he has no idea the pain that us in for him tomorrow night. The procedure will be parliamentary.”
I think we were all hoping relatively relaxed fight week, but unfortunately, in boxing, that’s never really the case. On Friday, Eubank Jr sent shockwaves around the boxing world after he FAILED to make weight for his fight with Conor Benn – and is set be fined £375,000.
Eubank Jr weighed 160.2lb on his first attempt and 160.05lb on his second and final attempt, meaning he will be handed the hefty penalty – but the fight WLL still go ahead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tomorrow night. Benn had earlier weighed in well under the 160lb middleweight limit at 156.4lb as he prepares to make his debut at the higher weight class.
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