Chris Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KOs) and Conor Benn (23-1, 14 KOs) put up a grudge match that lived up to the hype.
After years of verbal spats, colorful press conferences, and some pushing and shoving, Eubank and Benn let their fists do the talking on Sunday, engaging in a brutal 12-round slugfest to the delight of over 62,000 fans who packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In the end, it was Eubank who got the victory, outpointing Benn, 116-112, in all three scorecards.
“I knew I was capable of that,” said Eubank after the fight, just before he was taken to the hospital as a safety precaution. “The fact that our fathers did what they did all those years ago brings out a spirit in you, and we showed that tonight. I pushed through. There is a lot of things that have gone on in my life, and I am happy to have this man [his dad] back with me. We upheld the family name—onwards and upwards.”
Eubank was referring to his old man, Chris Eubank, and Benn’s father, Nigel Benn, who put on their own classic in 1990. Thirty-five years later, their sons did the same in what is no doubt the biggest non-heavyweight bout in the UK since Carl Froch fought Georges Grove in May 2024.
“I wasn’t sure he would be here. It gave me a lift. It was special. He needed to be here, all of this is because what he did,” the younger Eubank admitted.
Chris Eubank Jr. Settles the Trilogy vs. Conor Benn
Coming into this fight, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn had fought twice, with Eubank winning the first via ninth-round TKO. The second fight ended in a draw as both men fought their hearts out as in the first bout. They continued to do the same in their third fight with neither giving an inch. There were no knockdowns in this grudge match, but it was all action and just as brutal as their first two.
Benn was the aggressor early, landing solid right hooks and beating Eubank to the punch. But Eubank started finding his groove in Round 4, when he caught Benn with a clean combination before hitting him with a ferocious right uppercut. Eubank, 35, continued building momentum, using the jab effectively and catching Benn with hooks. He also finished strong, pummeling Benn in Rounds 11 and 12 to seal the deal.
With the victory, Eubank put himself firmly in contention for a world title shot opposite Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who currently holds the WBC, WBA, and WBO world super middleweight championships. Eubank hasn’t won any major titles—at least not their full versions anyway—but his latest victory showed he might have what it takes to do so as he overcame some though rounds.
As for Benn, who was coming off a 14-month layoff, a return to welterweight or junior middleweight might be in the offing on the heels of his first professional defeat. However, he hinted that he might stay at middleweight after all.
“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. “Maybe I stayed on the ropes too long. We knew Chris is a good fighter and fighting talk is fighting talk. I believe I can fight at 160.”
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn IV?
With over 62,000 in live gate and robust pay-per-view numbers expected from Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn III, it’s not out of the question that the two rivals could meet again down the line—especially if Benn, 28, stays at middleweight and bounces back.
