Eubank Jr. Says Benn’s Bulk Won’t Save Him From A KO

Chris Eubank Jr. says he has everything in his team ready to score a knockout of Connor Benn on Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KOs) looked as ripped as a Julian salad at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in, weighing in at 159.1 pounds compared to Ben’s 159.3 pounds.

(Credit: Mark Robinson)

Penn (23-1, 14 KO) has bulked up since his first fight on April 26, 2025. In that fight, Conor weighed 156 1/2 pounds. He ended up losing to Eubank Jr. via a 12-round unanimous decision by scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 116-112.

Mauling rerun for April?

Ben ended up getting defeated in that battle. Eubank Jr. was like a tiger, tearing Penn apart in the championship rounds, forcing him into a submissive role by repeatedly holding him down to survive. It was interesting to watch Conor’s behavior slowly change throughout the match.

When Eubank Jr. forced Ben to stay alive

When Eubank Jr. didn’t wither like the fodder with which Penn fought at welterweight, he imploded and was forced to cling excessively to avoid disqualification in the championship rounds. Connor looked like a mentally broken soldier who could no longer handle being on the battlefield. He lost it upstairs and was getting beaten to bits for rounds 10 to 12.

The difference was speed, punch output, inside fighting ability, and Eubank Jr.’s conditioning that led to his win. The extra weight that Penn, 29, put on for this bout is a knee-jerk reaction to his defeat. He clearly attributes his loss to his lack of size. Did Ben get bigger because he was broken by Eubank Jr.? It’s hard not to see that as the primary force behind Conor making weight for this fight. He was thinking that if he gained weight, he would win.

The truth is that Penn’s defense was primarily a result of his inability to match the consistent combinations that Eubank Jr. was throwing. There aren’t too many fighters from 147 to 160 who could have withstood the rain of punches that Chris Jr. threw at him last April.

Bulk bin results backfire

As such, Penn made the wrong decision to bulk up for this fight because what he needed to do was come in at a lighter weight so he could match Eubank Jr. punch for punch.

“I’m just looking forward to getting in there and doing the work and putting on a great show for the fans,” Connor Benn told DAZN Boxing at today’s ceremonial weigh-in. “I’m a welterweight, but in this fight, I want to go heavyweight and carry my weight,” Penn said when asked about coming in at a heavier weight than he was in his last fight.

Ben can only do his best. This was unlikely to work because he did not have enough time to make the massive changes to his game that he would need to defeat Eubank Jr. As Chris Jr. noted, he was “born and bred” to be the fighter he is now. He’s right. Eubank Jr. was born to be a fighter, and that’s not something that can be taught.

“Chris can do whatever he wants. I’m not worried about him or what he does. At the end of the day, I’m fighting at middleweight. So, I’m coming in at middleweight,” said a defensive-voiced Ben, who was beginning to lose his temper over a simple question.

Eubank Jr.’s confidence is “born and bred.”

““Everything is on track for Chris Eubank Jr. to win by knockout.” “I was born and bred to fight,” said Eubank Jr. “I can’t wait to go out tomorrow and show the world what I’m made of again. This fight is going to be the fight of the decade.”