Eubank Jr vs Benn now slated to take place in September (Picture: Getty)
Conor Benn has confirmed terms have been agreed for his grudge match with Chris Eubank Jr to go ahead this autumn.
The two fighters were set to follow in their father’s footsteps and meet in the ring last October only for Benn’s two failed drug tests to scupper those plans just days before the opening bell.
The Ilford welterweight has not fought since and is not currently licenced to fight in the UK. He remains under investigation from UKAD (UK-Anti-Doping) with the case expected to reach its conclusion in the coming weeks.
The Daily Star reported on Friday the fight was on the brink of being revived with plans to stage it in Abu Dhabi should the UKAD investigation prevent it from being held on UK soil.
Eubank Jr had been set for a rematch against Liam Smith after his stoppage defeat to the Liverpudlian in January, a fight that has been postponed twice this summer due to injury.
But Benn now anticipates their fight going ahead with 23 September a tentative date in the diary.
‘I trust my team,’ Benn told Boxing Social. ‘They know what I’m happy with, they know the numbers I want and they’re able to negotiate on my behalf. And that’s all been agreed. The numbers have all been sorted.
Eubank Jr suffered a knockout defeat to Smith in January (Picture: Getty)
‘We’ve both agreed, we both want the fight. Until it’s all signed on the dotted line and we’re in that ring you can never be too sure.’
Benn vs Eubank Jr was originally slated to take place at a catchweight of 157lbs, requiring the latter to drop down from his regular fight weight of 160lbs having also fought at super-middleweight [168lbs] in recent years.
Their latest agreement is for the contest to be fought at the middleweight limit of 160lbs, which will see Benn move up two divisions.
‘After watching him at 160 [in the Smith fight] he’ll be bang in trouble. Thank God the fight got called off,’ Benn said.
‘A fight’s a fight. I’m sparring super middles, light heavies in the gym. It don’t really concern me at all. You can only go off sparring … I’m sparring cruiserweights in Mexico. What I look at is, yeah, can I absorb the shot? Will I have to absorb the shots a lot more? Of course I will.
‘There’s nothing that he can do that I can’t handle.’
MORE : Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith II postponed AGAIN due to injury
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The grudge match could finally take place this autumn.
