Conor Benn explains why tonight will be final fight with Chris Eubank Jr
The rematch is on, and there will be no third bout
Conor Benn has said there is no chance of a third fight between him and Chris Eubank Jr ahead of tonight's (15 November) rematch after a clash between the pair earlier this year.
Benn, 29, suffered his first career defeat in April after Eubank Jr, 36, defeated him by unanimous decision, with the word on a rematch between the pair being 'watch this space' according to the victorious boxer.
It turns out there was space in the same year for a new boxing bout, as tonight the pair step back into the ring at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Last time out all three judges scored the fight 116-112 in Eubank Jr's favour and the rematch gives Benn a chance to even things up, but whichever way things go in the ring tonight, the boxer seeking to avenge his prior defeat is not planning on a third fight.
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According to the Mirror, Benn said he's 'been fed up with this for the past three years' and insisted there would be 'no trilogy' between the two of them.
"Do you know what it is? I just looked back to the kind of three years ago and I miss chasing the goal, which was being world champion and for me I'm competing at a weight that isn't my weight," he said of why he doesn't want to partake in another fight with Eubank Jr.
"I'm glad that I can give this fight to the supporters, like genuinely, because big fights don't happen for whatever reasons they don't happen.
"But for me I feel it is heavy on me to get the world title, so I just can't wait for this to be done and really drop back down and close this chapter on my career and move on.
"Victory, done. No trilogy. Because it's like you sit here and you go, 'Yeah, it's a mega-fight, we want to give the public the biggest fights possible'."
Benn said that the fights were 'financially rewarding for us' but his feeling is that he wants to 'get back down to my natural weight and win a world title'. He is currently a middleweight for his fight with Eubank Jr but is aiming to drop back down to welterweight.
He thinks doing that 'cements my legacy for me' and it was 'something that I thought I couldn't do when I first turned over'.
So that's his plan, win tonight's fight, drop down to his natural weight and win a world title, which is easier said than done.
There is a fiery rivalry between the boxers, with Eubank Jr hit with a £100,000 fine ahead of their first fight after slapping Benn with an egg during a press conference in February.
Eubank Sr called his son 'a disgrace' for that stunt, and Eubank Jr was in trouble again during the weigh in for missing the middleweight limit of 160lbs by 0.2lbs on his first attempt and 0.05lbs on his second go.
The fight still went ahead, with there being much anticipation over it since a 2022 bout was called off after Benn failed two voluntary drugs tests.
During the first fight Eubank Sr did show up to support his son despite his earlier comments.
Benn and Eubank Jr's fathers were both celebrated boxers, with Eubank Sr winning their first fight in 1990 and the 1993 rematch ending in a draw.
Joe Harker