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Conor Benn FROZEN OUT Of Ryan Garcia Super-Fight With Mario Barrios World Title Announcement For ‘King Ry’

Paul Kelly Written by Sports EditorPaul Kelly
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Conor Benn Next Fight - Boxing

Conor Benn has been frozen out of two super-fights with Ryan Garcia and Mario Barrios with the pair instead fighting each other for the WBC World Welterweight Title.

Benn called Barrios out for his green-and-gold belt in the aftermath of his victory over Chris Eubank Jr in their rematch whilst having back-and-forth with Garcia on social media earlier this week.

Conor Benn Frozen Out Of Ryan Garcia and Mario Barrios Super-Fights

With the announcement that Ryan Garcia will challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC World Welterweight Title on February 21, this spells bad news for Conor Benn.

Benn is on top of the world right now having defeated bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr in one sided fashion in their rematch on November 15. Although ‘The Destroyer’ is fresh off the back of a career-best performance and victory, it looks like two huge fights have evaded him already.

Although Eubank Jr vs Benn 2 ticket sales struggled for their rematch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the 29-year-old was still able to get revenge over his fierce rival whilst becoming the first Benn to beat a Eubank in the process too.

In the aftermath of the Eubank Jr rematch, Benn was quick to call out a whole host of big names for his next fight. This included WBC 147-pound king Barrios, as well as Garcia and other welterweight fighters like Devin Haney and Brian Norman Jr.

However, two of the names Benn called out are already out of the running for his next fight. Garcia and Barrios have signed contracts and agreed to fight on February 21 next year, meaning that ‘The Destroyer’ has been completely frozen out of a potential fight against either man.

Instead, Benn will have to look elsewhere and hope he can still land a huge fight. After defeating Eubank Jr in one-sided fashion, Benn’s star power has risen dramatically, making him one of the most followed boxers on Instagram in the process.

Given his name and stardom, it shouldn’t be an issue to attract another huge fight despite being frozen out by both Garcia and Barrios.

 

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Who Will Conor Benn Fight Instead With Garcia and Barrios No Longer Available?

Although he is no longer in the running to face either Ryan Garcia or Mario Barrios next, there are still several huge fights out there for Conor Benn.

Given that Benn’s net worth is at least £7.5million now and the fact he is one of the biggest names in British boxing, it shouldn’t be an issue for ‘The Destroyer’ to secure a mega-fight next.

Benn has spoken of his desire to return to his natural welterweight division after campaigning at middleweight for the two Chris Eubank Jr fights, and this remains a real possibility for the 29-year-old.

Below are three potential fights for Benn next now that he has been frozen out due to the Ryan Garcia vs Mario Barrios fight announcement.

Lewis Crocker

The most obvious fight for Conor Benn next is a clash with Matchroom stablemate and welterweight world champion Lewis Crocker.

Crocker became IBF world champion at 147-pounds after defeating Paddy Donovan at Windsor Park in their all-Irish rematch, and is looking to make his first defence in the first quarter of 2026.

With Benn setting his sights on world honours at welterweight, Crocker vs Benn is a fight that makes total sense. Timeline wise it works too, with Benn able to rest until Christmas before a potential world title clash with the Northern Irishman in March or April of next year.

‘The Croc’ has been vocal about wanting to face Benn next, insisting that a fight between the pair could be the ‘biggest fight in the UK right now’. Crocker is baffled as to why the fight hasn’t been mentioned by Eddie Hearn yet.

Brian Norman Jr

Another fight that makes sense for Conor Benn next is a fight with undefeated American Brian Norman Jr for his WBO World Welterweight Title.

Again, Benn has made it abundantly clear that he will return to welterweight for his next fight, and has also insisted he will challenge for world honours next. This is something Norman Jr himself is open to, revealing that he would travel to the UK to defend his WBO 147-crown against Benn.

This fight could well be the one that happens next, provided Norman first beats multi-weight world champion Devin Haney on Saturday night. Norman Jr vs Haney is one of four world title bouts on The Ring IV: Night of the Champions card, which boasts one of the most world title fights on one card in boxing history.

Conor Benn vs Brian Norman Jr in the first quarter of 2026 for the WBO World Welterweight Title is a genuine super-fight. But the champion must first deal with ‘The Dream’ this weekend.

Devin Haney

Another option for Conor Benn now that he has been frozen out by Ryan Garcia and Mario Barrios is a super-fight with multi-weight world champion Devin Haney.

Haney and Benn have had back and forth for years now, dating back to 2023. A fight between the pair has never been closer to actually happening, provided Haney beats Brian Norman Jr and becomes WBO World Welterweight Champion on November 22 in the process.

If he does, then Haney vs Benn makes total sense next. The narrative is already there and the pair have genuine beef, which makes for a thrilling build-up and fight in the ring.

Paul Kelly Written by Sports EditorPaul Kelly
Paul has worked in the sports journalism industry for several years now, specialising in boxing, MMA, golf and darts. This includes writing breaking news stories, in-depth features, predictions and more. Paul regularly attends live sporting events as both a journalist and as a fan, further adding to his expertise in his specialist sports. Paul is a Director at YouTube channel ESBR Boxing, as well as featuring regularly at BBC Sport NI. This has helped Paul master his knowledge of sports writing, as well as learning new skills with competence and proficiency.
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