Conor Benn is ready to return to the ring.
On April 22, 2022, Benn secured a second-round TKO victory against Chris van Heerden. Weeks later, he agreed to terms for a megafight with Chris Eubank Jr. in October 2022. However, Benn reportedly tested positive for a banned substance prior to the showdown. As a result, the fight was called off and Benn has been sidelined ever since.
This week, Benn received the news that he had been campaigning for since last year. The UK Anti-Doping agency reportedly lifted its ban on Benn, allowing him to return to the ring.
“Today marks the end of a grueling 10-month process, during which the WBC had already decided I was innocent of any wrongdoing,” Benn said after the ban was lifted.
“After a hearing with the National-Doping Agency Panel and UKAD, I have now been vindicated for the second time. Hopefully, the public and various members of the media can now understand why I have maintained my innocence so strongly all the way through.”
In a separate statement, Benn’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has begun plotting the fighter’s return to the ring. According to Hearn, Benn could fight two more times before the end of the year.
“Maybe he has a slightly smaller fight first. He’s been out of the ring for a year and a half, but he wants the big fights ASAP,” Hearn said.
“We’ll decide what’s right for him. I like him coming back and having a fight maybe in September, and then going into a huge fight in December.”
