Conor Benn says he could fight Manny Pacquiao next year: “No problem

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

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

He could not be ready for that date, but 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 British welterweight suffered a stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas in September.

That was Benn’s first world title challenge, and Garcia dropped him heavily before the referee ended the fight in the second round.

Benn acknowledged the difficulty of the defeat.

“It’s a hard pill to swallow,” he said.

“To give 100 per cent in everything I do, I always want to be victorious. No one likes losing.”

He did not criticize the referee’s decision to stop the bout.

“It’s hard to say. I mean, listen I respect the referee and it’s the referee’s job to keep the fighter safe,” Benn 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.”

The welterweight division is one of boxing’s most competitive classes, with champions and contenders spread across multiple sanctioning bodies.

Benn’s record now stands at 23 wins, one loss, and one no-contest, with 14 knockouts.

Pacquiao, 47, 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 professional fights, with 62 wins, eight losses, and two draws.

He is the only eight-division world champion in boxing history, having won titles from flyweight to super welterweight.

His career includes legendary victories over Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, and Keith Thurman.

He also fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015, the highest-grossing pay-per-view fight of all time, losing by unanimous decision.

Benn revealed that the Pacquiao fight was presented to him for December, but the timing did not work.

“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,” Benn said.

But he left the door open for early 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.”

The first quarter of 2027 would run from January through March.

A fight between Benn and Pacquiao would likely be a welterweight bout, the division where both have spent most of their recent careers.

Pacquiao had been linked to a fight on the undercard of Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury in December, but that has now been confirmed as not happening.

He has also been mentioned as a potential opponent for Shakur Stevenson, Paddy Donovan, and Joe Cordina.

Separately, former two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi has accused Pacquiao of avoiding him.

Malignaggi, speaking to Ariel Helwani, said Pacquiao is looking to fight “anybody but me.”

“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.”

Malignaggi is a former IBF junior welterweight and WBA welterweight champion who retired in 2019 with a record of 36 wins and eight losses.

He has since competed in bare-knuckle boxing and is scheduled to fight former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz on December 5, 2026.

Malignaggi and Pacquiao have a history of verbal sparring, dating back to when Malignaggi served as a sparring partner for Pacquiao before his 2014 fight with Chris Algieri.

Malignaggi later criticized Pacquiao publicly, and the two have exchanged words over the years.

Benn’s offer to fight Pacquiao adds another layer to the complex welterweight landscape.

If the fight happens, it would pit a young, power-punching contender against an aging legend still chasing glory.

Benn’s only professional loss came against Garcia, who is the current WBC welterweight champion.

Garcia stopped Benn inside two rounds, dropping him heavily before the referee stepped in.

Benn was back on his feet when the stoppage came, but he did not argue with the decision.

“If he didn’t think I was fit to continue that was his call on the night,” Benn said.

The British fighter is known for his aggressive style and punching power, with 14 of his 23 wins coming by knockout.