Amir Khan knows what it’s like to be involved in the sort of grudge match that Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr are about to fight.
The final fight of his career came back in 2022. After many years of talk, he finally got into the ring with British rival Kell Brook. The two had long had parallel careers, but Khan was the more well-known fighter given his achievements in the United States.
He became a super-lightweight champion early in his career and had big fights with the likes of Devon Alexander, Luis Collazo and Marcos Maidana. Brook really broke out with his welterweight world title win on away soil in the US against Shawn Porter. When the pair met in the ring, it was Brook who won in the mid-rounds via knockout, and neither man has fought since.
Benn and Eubank’s rivalry goes back generations to their fathers who fought in the 90s. The sons almost came to blows in October 2022 but Benn failed a drug test in the months prior which meant the fight was pulled, and only late last year did he become free to fight again after a long battle with the British Boxing Board of Control and UK Anti-Doping.
The pair quickly entered negotiations to reschedule the fight, this time set at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds, and Turki Alalshikh recently announced that the deal was done.
Speaking to Boxing King Media, Khan was asked how the fight will play out and backed the smaller man in Benn to bridge the gap in weight for the win.
“Conor wins that fight. I’ve always said Conor wins that fight. Conor starts fast. I don’t think he’ll keep up with the speed, power and aggression. The punches he puts together, the power he generates, there are not many fighters who can do that.”
