Chris Eubank Jr. faced Conor Benn in a highly anticipated boxing match on April 26 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. The bout, featuring Eubank Jr. (35-3) against Benn (23-1), was part of the main card and aired live on DAZN pay-per-view.
Official Result: Chris Eubank Jr. defeated Conor Benn by unanimous decision with scores of 116-112 on all three judges` scorecards.
Round 1
Eubank Jr. immediately established his jab, utilizing his noticeable size advantage. Benn attempted to clinch but was hit with a short right on separation. Eubank`s jab posed early problems for Benn, who landed his own jab but needed more offense. Eubank Jr. was content to work from the outside. Benn landed a step-in left and a right hook. After resetting, Eubank Jr. continued to effectively land his jab. A lunging left scored for Benn, answered by Eubank`s quick left hook. Benn also landed a good right hand. A competitive first round, with a slight edge to Eubank Jr.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Eubank.
Round 2
Benn started the round aggressively with his jab. He ate a jab but got inside to land a right hand. The referee, Loughlin, had to step in to separate fighters due to clinching and headlocks. They traded jabs. Eubank tripled up on his jab to assert control, repeatedly tapping Benn`s chin. Benn mixed his footwork and movement to try and disrupt Eubank`s rhythm. A left hook landed for Benn. Eubank jabbed the body, then went high again. His jabs continued to keep Benn at bay. Benn threw big shots, but many were off target. A close round.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Eubank.
Round 3
Eubank Jr. stuck with his effective jab. Benn became more adventurous, initiating exchanges, but still struggled to land cleanly. Benn landed a left hook flush that seemed to rattle Eubank, though he recovered quickly. This was arguably the best punch of the fight so far. Eubank attempted to bully Benn against the ropes, but Benn pushed back. They traded jabs again. Benn landed a glancing right to the side of Eubank`s head. They clinched and awkwardly tumbled to the canvas. Benn landed another good right hand.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Benn.
Round 4
Good defense from Eubank Jr. to start. Benn continued to skip in and out, looking for openings. Eubank landed a significant three-punch combination. A left hook connected for Benn. Eubank landed a powerful body shot. Eubank followed a jab with a left hook, starting to find his range. Both fighters landed jabs. Benn landed a body shot. Eubank walked into a clean right hand. Eubank landed a left hook, and Benn invited him to trade.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Eubank.
Round 5
A jab from Eubank caused Benn to tumble as Eubank ducked in, but it was not a knockdown. Eubank landed a right hand, which Benn countered with a left. Quick clinches prevented the fight from escalating dramatically for either man. Eubank began targeting the body effectively. A good jab from Eubank, who kept his head moving as Benn sought counters. Eubank landed a 1-2 combination. Benn launched a left hook that scored. Eubank landed a right. Benn mixed in a body shot. Eubank closed the round with a jab combination.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Eubank.
Round 6
Benn threw caution to the wind, landing his left hand a couple of times before Eubank hit him with a short right during a tie-up and separation. Benn pushed Eubank`s face, earning a warning from the referee. Eubank landed sharp punches while making Benn miss. A short left landed for Eubank as Benn`s punches fell short. Eubank`s size continued to be a factor. A good left hook landed for Eubank. Although less active, his accuracy was superior. A stiff jab from Eubank slowed Benn. Benn was absorbing several jabs. The referee warned Eubank about punches to the back of the head as the round concluded.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Eubank.
Round 7
Unsurprisingly, Benn looked to increase the pace in the second half. Eubank Jr. tied him up while throwing punches, receiving another warning for punches to the back of the head. They reset. Eubank landed a cracking uppercut, but Benn`s chin held up. Then a left landed cleanly, snapping Benn`s head back. It seemed Benn couldn`t endure many more such shots. Eubank landed a hard jab. Eubank kept punches in Benn`s face, limiting offense from the younger fighter in this round. Eubank blasted him with a right. Benn responded with a flurry, showing he wasn`t out of the fight yet. While not a technical masterpiece, he put Eubank on the defensive. Eubank returned to his jab.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Eubank.
Round 8
Benn began firing 1-2 combinations without hesitation, while Eubank Jr. remained calm, sticking to his jab. None of Benn`s power shots seemed to land significantly early on. Benn landed a sharp right. Eubank uncharacteristically chased Benn, allowing Benn to land counters. They traded blows. Eubank appeared to be hunting for a potential finish, mixing head and body shots. Benn showed little head movement, allowing Eubank to tee off. Benn became somewhat desperate with his power attempts. He landed a right hand through Eubank`s guard. Benn landed a right uppercut and another right in close. The round devolved into a dogfight.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Benn.
Round 9
Eubank had to be cautious, walking in and allowing Benn to connect with two clean punches. Another 1-2 landed for Benn. Eubank landed a left hook. Benn landed a solid rip to the body. Eubank started leaning on Benn, turning the fight into a dirty boxing contest. The referee allowed them to work in tight for a moment before separating them. Benn targeted the body. Eubank landed a right hand. Benn responded with a left. Eubank let his hands go while in close quarters with Benn. They traded, and Eubank got the better of the exchange with a right hand to the midsection. Jabs landed for both fighters.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Eubank.
Round 10
Much of Eubank`s corner time addressed a cut over his right eye. They resumed fighting immediately, with Eubank pressing Benn with close-range punches. Benn aimed body shots to push Eubank back, but Eubank smothered him effectively. Benn landed a body shot trying to create space. Eubank clipped him with a looping right. Eubank targeted the body again. More body shots from Benn, followed by a hard right to Eubank`s chin. Eubank mixed short body punches with pressure. Eubank missed a combination and ate a counter. He attempted to finish the round strongly with a flurry against the ropes, but Benn kept his defense tight.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Benn.
Round 11
A good 1-2 landed for Eubank Jr. to start the penultimate round. Benn targeted the body as Eubank advanced. Eubank landed big punches, but both fighters showed signs of fatigue, having trouble following up. Eubank landed a beautiful counter right. Two jabs pushed Benn back. Eubank landed another right hand. They traded body shots in close. A flurry from Eubank suggested he was running away with the round. Eubank wasn`t throwing with maximum power but was drowning Benn against the ropes with volume. They traded combinations in sequences that felt almost like turns. It was wild and entertaining.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Eubank.
Round 12
Eubank Jr. immediately resumed pressure, leaving Benn little opportunity for a comeback. He threw punches in bunches, forcing Benn to move his head wildly. Eubank briefly stalled the action by hooking Benn`s arm in the clinch. With ninety seconds left, Benn looked to throw, but Eubank swarmed him. A left hand cracked Benn, who was visibly breathing heavily. Eubank was also slowing but continued to throw punches. Both fighters left everything in the ring. Eubank landed a right hand. With thirty seconds remaining, neither fighter seemed to have much left. Benn landed a good body shot, and Eubank lunged with a left. Neither wanted the fight to end! But the bell rang, mercifully concluding the contest.
Round Score (MMA Fighting): 10-9 Eubank.
Final Official Result: Chris Eubank Jr. defeated Conor Benn via unanimous decision (116-112, 116-112, 116-112).
