Conor Benn reveals Pacquiao fight talks for early next year

Conor Benn revealed to Sky Sports that he had been offered a December bout with Manny Pacquiao.

Benn could not be ready for that date.

But he believes talks can be restarted for the fight in the first quarter of 2027.

"He's an all-time legend," Benn told Sky Sports.

"He's an eight-division world champion, he's an all-time, he'll go down in the history books."

Benn added: "Another stadium show sounds nice."

"I know the Pacquiao fight was offered to me for December," Benn revealed.

"And I wasn't ready to get the fight done in December."

"But if he wants it Q1 next year, we can do Pacquiao."

Benn explained why he turned down the December date.

"The fight got presented to me for December and it was just too soon, making weight, got a newborn son, so for me it was really about spending time with my family," he said.

But he left the door wide open for 2027.

"If Q1, he wants to get it on again, I'm interested," Benn said.

"Always in the gym, always working, if he wants it Q1 next year, we can do it, no problem."

Benn is coming off a stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas in September.

Garcia, the WBC welterweight champion, stopped Benn inside two rounds in the Briton's first world title challenge.

"It's a hard pill to swallow," Benn acknowledged.

"To give 100 per cent in everything I do, I always want to be victorious."

"No one likes losing."

"You always want to come first place."

"So for me it's just one of those things, you go swimming, you get wet."

"And I always said I want to be in exciting fights and if I get caught, I get caught."

Garcia dropped Benn heavily though Benn was back on his feet when the stoppage came.

Benn did not criticise the referee for ending the fight.

"It's hard to say," he said.

"I mean, listen I respect the referee and it's the referee's job to keep the fighter safe."

"Obviously me knowing my style and who I am, would I have liked to let the fight carry on, of course, but I'm not going to argue with the referee, he was there to do his job and he did his job."

"If he didn't think I was fit to continue that was his call on the night."

Pacquiao is 47 years old and has not fought since July 2025.

That night he secured a draw with WBC ruler Mario Barrios.

Before that he had been out of the ring since August 2021 when he lost a WBA welterweight contest with Yordenis Ugás.

Pacquiao is a veteran of 73 fights with eight losses on his record.

He is a former eight-weight world champion who is finding it hard to leave the sport behind.

He had been linked with a fight with Shakur Stevenson and Paddy Donovan and then Joe Cordina on the undercard of Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury in December.

That has now been confirmed as not happening.

Meanwhile, former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi has been calling out Pacquiao.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Malignaggi said he would be up for the fight with 'Pacman' but that the Filipino has so far swerved the possibility.

"Pacquiao comes back and he's looking to fight anybody but me right now," Malignaggi said.

"This guy's 100 years old."

"He's looking to fight anybody but me."

"Now he's fighting a guy 20 pounds smaller than him just so he can fight."

"I put my name out there."

"I've been active."

"He doesn't even mention my name."

"He knows what I said about him, and he knows I'm right."

"They don't want that spewed out in that promotion, so they don't bring it up."

It is now most likely that Pacquiao, if he does return, will do so in 2027 despite turning 48 in mid-December.

Malignaggi is set to take part in a bare-knuckle clash with former WBC welterweight world champion Victor Ortiz on Saturday, December 5.

Benn's revelation puts a new twist on Pacquiao's comeback trail.

Instead of facing a retired fighter or a smaller opponent, Pacquiao might step into the ring with a young, hungry welterweight who just fought for a world title.

Benn is 28 years old.

Pacquiao is 47.

The age gap is nearly 20 years.

Benn has a 23-3 record with 14 knockouts.