Conor Benn Seeks Redemption, Opportunity Away From Home in Dobson Fight

With his boxing career in the U.K. on hold due to an ongoing legal dispute over failed drug tests, the 27-year-old will enter the ring in Las Vegas with plenty on his mind.

The sun will still be shining when Conor Benn makes his ring walk Saturday. Matinee shows will be opening on the Las Vegas strip, street performers will be setting up, costumed Marvel characters will be getting camera ready. Instead of coming from dinner, some bleary-eyed fans will roll into The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan from the breakfast buffet.

“I don’t think I’ve ever fought that early in the day,” says Benn.

It’s Tuesday and Benn, 27, is speaking over Zoom from his hotel suite. On Saturday, Benn will face Peter Dobson, an undefeated (and unheralded) welterweight contender. It will be an afternoon fight in the U.S. in an effort to get Benn, a London native, in front of primetime eyeballs in the U.K. because Benn—for now—still can’t fight in the U.K., the result of an ongoing dispute with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) over a pair of failed drug tests in 2022.

“Small legal issues,” says Benn. “So we said, ‘let’s build the profile up in America.’ ”

Benn’s legal issues may be small. His perception issues, though, remain significant. Since testing positive for clomiphene—a result Benn, supported by an investigation by the WBC, has blamed on contaminated eggs—Benn has been on a crusade to prove his innocence. He has, by his estimation, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on science and legal experts. He has done television interviews, radio and podcasts. He did Voluntary Anti-Doping Testing (VADA) before his last fight. He’s enrolled in VADA for this one.

Some believe him. Many don’t. In the U.K., where boxing is mainstream, Benn is a polarizing figure. TalkSport talks about him. The Telegraph writes about him. YouTube is filled with videos debating his guilt or innocence. Accepting that he will never win over the skeptics, says Benn, has been the toughest part.

“It’s not how much I've spent, not how bad the publicity's been,” says Benn. “Nothing has been harder to accept than the fact that some will believe and some will never believe and some will find an excuse for my success.”

It’s impossible to know if Benn is innocent. But Benn believes he’s innocent. So do the people around him. Last September, I sat down with Benn for an on-camera interview. It was raw. Emotional. He said at one point he was on the brink of suicide. “Do I Iook like I could sit here and look you in the eye and lie?” asked Benn. “Am I insane? Do I look like a psychopath?” His voice choked. Tears welled in his eyes. When the interview was over, Benn dipped into a hallway and broke down.

“It takes time to heal from something like this,” says Benn. “Because it's not like I don't care about my image and I don't just go missing. I'm very vulnerable. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I am what I am and people know I am what I am, which is why this has been so bad.”

Benn’s fight against Dobson in Las Vegas will be his second bout in the U.S. over the last year.

Courtesy of Ed Mulholland/Matchroom

Benn has regrets. Lots of them. He wonders if it was wise to be as aggressive as he was in the aftermath of the positive tests when his lawyers advised him to keep quiet. He wonders if he should have sought to settle the dispute with the BBoC sooner instead of fighting it at every turn.

“It probably would have gone away sooner,” says Benn. “But I'm just not that guy. And listening to the legal advice, I just couldn't stay quiet while my name, my image, my character. My son is going to one day see all this and me not fight for my innocence?”

Benn believes his fight with the BBoC will end in the next few weeks. Last July, the independent National Anti-Doping panel lifted a United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) suspension. UKAD and the BBBoC appealed, an appeal that both Benn and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, expect to be heard this month. If it goes Benn’s way, he believes—or at least hopes—the BBBoC will allow him to fight in the U.K. again.

“It’s still a burden man,” says Benn. “Still a burden, still heavy on me. And I feel like until this case is concluded, I can't see a future. Although I'm fighting and I prepare for fight night the same, I mentally want this just done. I just desperately want this finished and this chapter closed.”

For now, Benn will push forward in the U.S. Last September, Florida licensed Benn to face Rodolfo Orozco, whom Benn defeated by a wide decision. Nevada has licensed Benn to face Dobson. On Tuesday, Benn and Dobson came face to face for the first time. Dobson, a New York-based fighter, was fired up. He called Benn’s record “padded.” He said Benn was a “rich pretty boy” and a “wild, athletic bum.” Dobson said Benn lacked the intelligence to beat him.

Replied Benn: “I’m trying really hard not to laugh at you.”

Saturday will mark Benn’s first appearance in Vegas. His father, Nigel, defended his middleweight title there in 1990, stopping Iran Barkley in the opening round. Benn sees opportunity in the U.S. If he returns to welterweight—this fight will be contested at a catchweight of 150 pounds, says Benn—the biggest fights are in the U.S. If he moves up to 154 pounds, a showdown with Vergil Ortiz Jr., a Golden Boy-promoted contender who Benn has shown interest in, would take place stateside.

“Any of them names I can mention, they don’t mention my name,” says Benn. “They never mention my name. I mentioned their names. And these are the fights that the public want. I’m here. I’m ready. Just let me know.”

First up, Dobson. Benn says he feels more comfortable entering this fight. Last September, an hour before his fight with Orozco, Benn says the magnitude of the moment hit him. He felt a wave of exhaustion. He lay down on a nearby sofa. “Fell asleep for maybe 20 minutes while my gloves are on, all taped up ready to go.” He didn’t feel like himself that night. On Saturday, he will.

“Right now, all I can do is control what I can control,” says Benn. “And that's how I'm looking at this. Stay in the gym, stay working, stay grafting, say disciplines, stay dedicated. Anything else? It's just going to give me resilience and strength when there's all this is cleared, I'll be able to be clear mentally.”

Benn’s voice trails off. For a moment, emotion overwhelms him.

“Because there is so much,” says Benn, “just … still.”