Conor Benn is the favourite to extend his record to 21 wins from as many outings when he enters the boxing ring to face Chris van Heerden in Manchester on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old son of legendary British boxer Nigel Benn is the current WBA Continental welterweight champion and has his sights set on a world title shot. For the second consecutive fight, he faces a largely inactive opponent but experienced campaigner in Van Heerden, whose last win was back in 2019 while a 2020 bout against Jaron Ennis was swiftly deemed a no contest after an accidental clash of heads.
Both fighters made weight as they took to the scales on Friday, with Benn weighing in at 146.5lbs (10st 4lbs), while Van Heerden also had no problems at 145.8lbs (10st 4lbs).
Benn claimed strong victories over Samuel Vargas, Adrian Granados and Chris Algieri in 2021 to emerge as a serious contender in the welterweight division, and he was ringside as Kell Brook dismantled Amir Khan in their long-awaited grudge match in February. Benn has claimed that Brook priced himself out of the proposed all-British dust-up, demanding £10million, before the Benn v Van Heerden bout was announced.
Here's everything you need to know about the 12-round fight:
What time is Conor Benn v Chris van Heerden?
Conor Benn vs Chris van Heerden will take place on Saturday, April 16, at the Manchester Arena. Depending on results beforehand, the duo are expected to walk to the ring at around 10pm (UK time).
What TV channel is Conor Benn v Chris van Heerden on? What about live streaming?
Conor Benn v Chris van Heerden will be broadcast live on DAZN, the live sports streaming service which is priced at £7.99 per month. Viewers can also live stream the coverage online or via the app, or on their smart devices if connected.
Latest Conor Benn v Chris van Heerden betting odds
The full fight card
- Conor Benn vs Chris van Heerden
- Chris Billam-Smith vs Tommy McCarthy
- Alycia Baumgardner vs Edith Soledad Matthysse
- Campbell Hatton vs Ezequiel Gregores
- Jordan Thompson vs Mariano Angel Gudino
- Jack Cullen vs Vladimir Belujsky
- Thomas Whittaker-Hart vs Ben Ridings
- Luke Evans vs Miguel Cesario Antin
- James Metcalf vs Evgeni Vazem