Conor Benn has verbally committed to sending a contract to Shakur Stevenson over their much talked about welterweight boxing fight.
Riding the wave of his biggest win to date, a decision win in his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr. late, last year, Benn has surveyed the 147-pound landscape and is targeting the American because he regards him as too small and inefficient to handle his attack-heavy style.
Stevenson, though, is at the peak of his powers after convincingly out-pointing William Zepeda and Teofimo Lopez in back-to-back bouts in separate weight classes. The latter win in particular, which crowned him a four-weight champion, elevated his standing in the global pound-for-pound conversation.
But Benn doesn’t seem impressed and, when speaking on Ring Champs With Ak & Barak, the Brit explained why he wants the fight, and why he believes he wins.
“I want Shakur next.”
Benn said: “I was talking to him and he was adamant he wants the rehydration clause. I said I’ll do it if the number is right. No problem.”
For both Benn’s middleweight bouts with Eubank in 2025, Matchroom implemented a rehydration clause which appeared to hamper Chris Jr. significantly, as he was transported to hospital following his win in the first duel, and seemed to fight on shot legs in the do-over.
Stevenson competed at lightweight (135 pounds) in July 2025, and weighed 131.5 pounds for a super featherweight title fight as recently as 2022. The size disparity is real.
“I’m disciplined, it’s unquestioned,” said Benn. “You won’t see me doing any Eubank business posting for sympathy. I’ll do the weight properly and ultimately it comes at a price. Do I fancy that fight? Yes because I love the challenge of it.”
Benn called Stevenson “a future pound-for-pound great” but warned “he’s too small” to fight him. “I wouldn’t try and box him,” he said. “I’d just steam straight into him and fight him and take it to him and rough him up.”
Both Benn and Stevenson fight under the Matchroom banner and so, as stablemates in Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith’s roster, a fight either in an iconic New York City arena, a London soccer stadium, or even Riyadh all seem feasible.
“I’ll get a contract over to Shakur this week,” Benn said. “I won’t wait for him to send me one, I’ll get one over to him this week. Guaranteed.”