Conor Benn says he can fight Manny Pacquiao early next year

Conor Benn has revealed that he could fight boxing legend Manny Pacquiao early next year.

The 28-year-old British welterweight told Sky Sports that a December bout with the eight-division world champion was offered to him.

Benn turned it down because he was not ready to make weight again so soon after his September stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.

But he said he is open to restarting talks for a 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. And I wasn't ready to get the fight done in December. But if he wants it Q1 next year, we can do Pacquiao," he revealed.

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

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

Benn is coming off the first loss of his professional career.

Garcia, the WBC welterweight champion, stopped Benn inside two rounds in the Briton's first world title challenge on September 27, 2026.

"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 him heavily, though Benn was back on his feet when the stoppage came.

He did not criticize the referee for ending the fight.

"It's hard to say. I mean, listen I respect the referee and it's the referee's job to keep the fighter safe," he said.

"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."

Manny Pacquiao, now 47 years old, has not fought since July 2025, when he secured a draw with WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.

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

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

He is a former eight-weight world champion who has struggled to leave the sport behind despite his age.

Pacquiao had been linked with several potential opponents throughout 2026.

He was rumored to face Shakur Stevenson, Paddy Donovan, and later Joe Cordina on the undercard of Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury in Cardiff in December.

That undercard appearance has now been confirmed as not happening.

In a separate development, former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi has accused Pacquiao of ducking him.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show, Malignaggi said he is willing to fight Pacquiao but that the Filipino has swerved the possibility.

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

"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."

Malignaggi is set to take part in a bare-knuckle clash with former WBC welterweight world champion Victor Ortiz on Saturday, December 5, 2026.

It is now most likely that Pacquiao, if he does return to the ring, will do so in 2027 despite turning 48 in mid-December 2026.

Benn's offer for a Q1 2027 fight may provide a clear path for Pacquiao's next move.

The age gap between the two fighters is significant — Benn is 28, Pacquiao is 47.