Conor Benn's turbulent and eventful journey to a first world title shot has included career-threatening controversy, a detour into the wilderness and an emergence into the spotlight ahead of Saturday's fight with Ryan Garcia.
Now back at welterweight after two fights at middleweight and another at 150 pounds, the English boxer faces Garcia for the American's WBC world title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
It's not been a simple upward trajectory to this point for Benn, who has overcome a lack of amateur experience, a doping ban and a painful defeat to a bitter rival to become one of boxing's biggest names.
Benn (25-1, 14 KOs), 29, has had mixed experiences up to this point but they have been the making of one of boxing's most watchable fighters. Here are the three stages of his career.
Managing early expectations: 2016-2022
As the son of one of the most popular boxers ever in the United Kingdom, Benn had the challenge of learning and developing while being compared to the achievements of his father Nigel, who was a two-weight world champion in the 1990s.
Benn had to cope with scrutiny other novice professionals do not have to cope with every mistake highlighted and analysed.
Chris Eubank Jr, who became Benn's bitter rival years later, would have been one of the few boxers able to appreciate what Benn had to contend with. Eubank's father Chris Sr twice fought Nigel Benn and was also a two-weight world champion.
"It's not an easy thing to deal with [the pressure of being the son of Nigel Benn], but you learn to, it makes you stronger, coping with the pressure and you get used to it, it's my job," Benn told ESPN in 2022.
"My dad never wanted me to fight. I don't feel like I had to take this path whatsoever. That's definitely not the reason why I do it, I just love to fight and I'm not letting anyone take that away from me."
After growing up in Spain and Australia, Benn turned professional aged 19 in April 2016 with just 22 amateur bouts in Australia.
Due to his dad's boxing earnings, Conor had a comfortable upbringing but the early years as a professional boxer based in Ilford, east London, were tough.
He dedicated himself completely and despite the wins, Benn still had to deal with criticism.
"Not everyone is going to like me or understand me. That's fine but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with criticism, and hate, and spitefulness, and vileness coming at you almost every day when really I'm a nice kid," Benn told ESPN in 2021, about dealing with expectations and early criticism.
"If I am honest, if I could go back now, I probably would have stayed in Australia cooking on the barbecue with my dad, enjoying life and not having to worry. I do sometimes think I am mad for not choosing that life.
"I think it would be nice but I don't [do it] because the ambition, the drive, the challenge is so much stronger and exciting to me.
"But the critics really can drain away at your love for the sport, it can make you not enjoy boxing, not because of the fighting. That's what I felt for a while, why am I here?"
Benn stopped most of his opponents but was dropped twice in a difficult points win vs. Cedrick Peynaud in December 2017. It was a valuable learning experience for Benn, who progressed to record impressive stoppage wins over former world champion Chris Algieri (WKO 4) and Chris van Heerden (WTKO 2) in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Into the wilderness: 2022-2024
Benn was at the point of breaking through to become a major boxing star when his career was sent spiralling downwards.
Benn failed two VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) tests for clomiphene, a banned substance that boosts testosterone levels while burning fat.
Benn argued that his consumption of eggs elevated his testosterone levels, which caused the cancellation of a fight vs. Eubank Jr at the start of fight week.
The fight was scrapped three days before it was supposed to happen, and Benn's career was left in doubt. The NADP (National Anti-Doping Panel), the UK's independent tribunal responsible for adjudicating anti-doping disputes in sport, and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBB of C) banned Benn after his two positive test results.
It was the most difficult time in Benn's life and he said he considered suicide after the positive tests.
"I didn't think I was going to make it through this period, I didn't think I was going to make it through," he told Piers Morgan Uncensored.
"I was shamed for something I hadn't even done, it's hard because I felt like I was on death row for something I haven't even done."
When asked if he was feeling suicidal, Benn said: "Yeah, yeah I'd say so, and it upsets me now because I don't know how I got so bad.
"I got in a really bad way about it. You've got to remember, if you think I'm innocent or if you don't think I'm innocent, I am innocent."
Despite the ban in the UK, Benn was free to box in the United States, where he recorded a unanimous points win over Rodolfo Orozco in a 10-round non-title bout in September 2023.
The fight got little attention, as did Benn's 12-round unanimous decision win over Peter Dobson in February 2024.
It was only Benn's second bout since April 16, 2022 but in November and after two years of legal battles, Benn was cleared to fight in the UK after the UK Anti-Doping announced it will not appeal the decision by the NADP to lift Benn's ban to fight in the UK.
The BBB of C also confirmed that it would not appeal the NADP's decision, which cleared the way for Benn to box in the UK for the first time since April 2022.
After being put on hold, Benn's career was about to lift off.
Emerging into the spotlight: 2025 - present
It was already big news in the UK when Eubank Jr vs. Benn was announced in February 2025. But when Eubank. Jr pulled out an egg and smashed it into Benn's face during a face off at a news conference the fight gained added interest.
The English rivals fought twice last year at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the biggest fights on British soil, which ended the dominance of heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in the UK.
There were fears that stepping up two weight classes would be too much of a challenge for Benn, who had not fought for 14 months.
But Benn contributed to an enthralling and competitive, non-title middleweight fight. Eubank earned scores of 116-112 on all three scorecards to end Benn's unbeaten record in front of a crowd of 62,000.
"Maybe inactivity was a factor, I had 14 months out of the ring. It was a close fight, I'll have to watch it back. I enjoyed it," Benn said.
So did boxing fans and the pair met again in a November rematch, also at middleweight with no major title on the line. This time, an inspired Benn overwhelmed Eubank with his intensity and work rate.
Benn floored Eubank (35-4, 25 KOs) twice in the final round to seal victory by unanimous scores of 119-107, 116-110 and 118-108.
"It's been a journey, it feels like the end of the Benn-Eubank saga, it's done, it's over," Benn said. "People said I can't box, put that in your pipe and smoke it."
After the best win of his career came an unexpected twist with Benn's defection to Zuffa Boxing when he signed a one-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing in February.
It ended Benn's close relationship with Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, who had guided him since his pro bow and stood by him through the doping ban.
It was far from an amicable split and heaped pressure on Benn to deliver in his first fight under the Zuffa banner vs. former world champion Regis Prograis in April.
Prograis might have been a faded force, but nevertheless Benn recorded a comfortable 98-92, 98-92 and 98-92 UD win and then signed a multifight deal to remain with Dana White's promotion company Zuffa.
The win over Prograis was an important stepping stone to Benn's first world title shot vs. Garcia, announced in July.
"Been building up to this for a decade. I won't miss," Benn said on X.
Both Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) and Benn had traded insults on social media and when it came to a news conference in July they had to be pulled apart.
Benn will start as the underdog for his return to welterweight for the first time since 2022 and he will not have the backing of a home crowd as he tries to emulate his dad Nigel's success.
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Nigel lifted the WBC world super middleweight title in 1992 and Conor says the WBC belt is the one he wants over any other.
"I always wanted WBC title that was always the goal," Benn said after beating Eubank. "For me winning the WBC world title is heavy on my heart and heavy on my mind.
"Getting the WBC title, it is the belt my dad won and a belt I would love to win. That's my dream, so for me to be one up on my dad with the Eubank-Benn rivalry and also win the WBC world title, it would be some moment for me."
After a decade, Benn arrives for his first world title shot with the profile, wealth and fan base of a world champion.
