Most handicappers have given Peter Dobson less than a 10 percent chance of upsetting Conor Benn on Saturday in Las Vegas.
An admittedly distracted Benn believes, though, that he is only operating at 25 percent of his capabilities because his well-documented performance-enhancing drug ordeal is still hanging over his head. The unbeaten Benn is awaiting a hearing date for the British Boxing Board of Control and UK Anti-Doping appeal of his case, which could be scheduled for some time this month.
The National Anti-Doping Panel lifted the English welterweight’s suspension in the United Kingdom last July for twice testing positive for the banned substance clomiphene in 2022, but the slow-moving appellate process has prohibited Benn (22-0, 14 KOs) from fighting in his home country. His 10-round, 150-pound fight against Dobson (16-0, 9 KOs), which DAZN will stream from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, will be Benn’s second straight fight in the United States.
Benn beat Mexican veteran Rodolfo Orozco (32-4-3, 24 KOs) by unanimous decision in his last fight, a 10-rounder September 23 at Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida. The son of British boxing legend Nigel Benn hoped thereafter that he would win his appeal and have his first fight of 2024 in England, but the prolonged process has taken longer than he anticipated.
The 27-year-old Benn appreciates that commissions in Florida and Nevada have licensed him to fight in those states. The most profitable, highest-profile fights for Benn – namely rescheduling his scrapped showdown with family rival Chris Eubank Jr. – likely would be held in England.
After battling Dobson on Saturday afternoon, Benn is looking forward to recording a second victory this month by being granted a license to fight in the United Kingdom.
“It should be concluded this month, man,” Benn told BoxingScene.com. “It’s so longwinded and it’s taken a lot of me. You know, it’s half the man with all this going on, in fact, quarter of a man. So, for this to be done, I’ll feel relieved. Although I’m fighting now, it’s hard to stay on the ball and stay fully focused when you have all these mega-distractions going on. They’re not little distractions. My team can do their best to eliminate them from me, but there’s still that uncertainty, that worry, that fear, that concern that plays a massive factor.
“You’ve gotta remember, I have a wife, I have a son, I have a daughter on the way. I have my career, I have my image, you know, finances. There’s so much at stake here that it’s easy to get sidetracked. You know, it’s like the elephant in the room. And, you know, as much as I try and push it aside it’s still on my head and heavily on my heart while I’m going through this.”
Benn twice failed tests administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association prior to the Eubank bout, which was consequently canceled two days before it was supposed to take place in October 2022 at O2 Arena in London. Benn has adamantly maintained his innocence throughout this situation, but he believes the National Anti-Doping Panel’s decision in July was a significant step in the arduous process of clearing his name.
“I feel like me winning the initial hearing wasn’t heavily publicized, but winning that, for me, was mega,” Benn said. “It’s unfortunate that they appealed, but I’m confident in me winning again. You know, there’s nothing to hide. So, for me, once this case is done I feel like that I will win in the court of public opinion.”
Benn’s bout with Dobson – an unbeaten but unknown, unproven underdog from the Bronx, New York – will headline DAZN’s four-fight stream, which is scheduled to start at noon PT (8 p.m. GMT; 3 p.m. ET). The main event is expected to begin at approximately 10:30 p.m. in the UK (2:30 p.m. PT), so that Benn’s fans in England can watch it live at a reasonable time.
“It’s not under the circumstances I would’ve wanted,” Benn said, “but it’s a blessing, man, and I believe the right doors open and the wrong doors close. And, you know, for me to be headlining here in Vegas at the age of 27, it’s a dream, man. It’s like I’m doing a little American tour. I’ll forever be grateful [to the Florida and Nevada commissions] because they’re paving the way for me to feed my family.
“They’re paving the way for me to resume my career. Irrelevant of all the noise and all the drama that’s going on, they’ve seen what’s what and have followed closely with [promoter] Matchroom [Boxing] what’s going on. They’ve followed the case, they’ve followed every procedure and I’m very blessed, you know, they see the truth and see what’s actually going on back home.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.