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.

Benn told Sky Sports that a December bout with the eight-division world champion was offered to him.

He could not be ready for that date.

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

"He's an all-time legend," Benn said.

"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."

The 28-year-old welterweight contender is coming off a stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia in September.

Garcia, the WBC welterweight champion, stopped Benn inside two rounds in Las Vegas.

It was Benn'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."

He added: "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.

Benn was back on his feet when the stoppage came.

He did not criticise 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."

Despite that defeat, Benn insists he is ready for a Pacquiao showdown.

"I know the Pacquiao fight was offered to me for December. And I wasn't ready to get the fight done in December," Benn said.

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

"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."

Pacquiao is 47 years old.

He 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 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.