Conor Benn’s trainer Tony Sims has revealed that negotiations are taking place for Benn to fight either Chris Eubank Jnr or Mario Barrios in February.

The path is expected to soon be cleared for Benn to fight for the first time in the UK since April 2022 – after which, in the build-up to the abandoned grudge match with Eubank Jnr, he twice tested positive for the banned substance clomifene.

Benn and his promoters Matchroom have repeatedly maintained his innocence – the evolution of the circumstances surrounding his two failed drugs tests contributed to him later twice fighting in the US – and unless the World Anti-Doping Agency chooses to appeal against the National Anti-Doping Panel lifting his suspension he is on course to enter his biggest fight.

A contest with the 35-year-old Eubank Jnr would almost certainly prove even bigger than it was already on course to be in 2022. Barrios, 29, is the WBC welterweight champion who had been pursuing a cynical, high-profile match-up with the retired Manny Pacquiao and, according to Sims, is as likely an opponent as Eubank Jnr in early 2025. 

“There’s negotiations going on for the Eubank fight that everybody knows about,” the trainer told BoxingScene. “And there’s negotiations going on with the Barrios fight, because [Souleymane] Cissokho – the number one contender – is injured. For the WBC title. He’s finally in a great position where he can do one of them fights. Either one or the other is gonna materialise, and both them fights are big fights to come back with. 

“It’s 50-50 at the moment. The Eubank fight is negotiating at the moment – it’s obviously about money. Whether there’s enough money; whether Eubank wants to do the deal with Conor; what the percentage is, I don’t know. The Barrios fight, the WBC championship of the world – there’s negotiations going on there as well. Whatever decision they come to out of them two fights, Conor will be happy to take either one of them. 

“I understand the reasons for both fights. I understand that, financially, the Eubank fight will produce more money, which is why a boxer trains and fights every day – the financial structure it gives you. But I also understand fighting for the WBC world title as well, is a massive achievement. Especially with what he’s been through as well. I understand both sides – either one of them I’d be happy to do. 

“Hopefully February – here, hopefully.”

Benn controversially fought in Orlando, Florida in September 2023 when he outpointed Rodolfo Orozco. He then earned a decision over Peter Dobson in February in Las Vegas. 

Neither performance made the same impression as those that involved Benn stopping Chris van Heerden in his final fight before the start of his suspension, or Chris Algieri in December 2021, but while Sims recognises that his fighter, 28, would ideally have another contest before entering one with the potential to define his career, he believes that Benn will be fighting free of the same pressure that existed against Orozco and Dobson, and that those two dates will prove “really beneficial” in February.

“Them fights was difficult in America,” Sims continued. “Boxing’s probably 80 per cent mental, and mentally he wasn’t there. As a coach, I knew he wouldn’t be there mentally as well – how can you be with that amount of pressure sitting on your shoulders, outside of boxing? You hear a lot of fighters, when they get defeated, say, ‘I had had a lot of outside issues – that’s why I got defeated.’ He had a hell of a lot of outside issues and he still come through with wins and they were difficult opponents he boxed as well. It was a difficult period for him to actually train every day; a week never went by without barristers calling him; about the press on top of his shoulders about him going to America to fight and was that right for him to do? 

“He had a hell of a lot of pressure on his shoulders and I was actually really proud of him going over there and boxing them two fights and coming through them two fights. It’d have been easy for him to say, ‘I didn’t box well – I had outside issues,’ but he actually boxed well. He’s been cleared, and now he’s looking to be back in the ring early in 2025.

“It wasn’t a mistake [to enter those fights], but mentally you’ve got to be switched on at all times. Was he switched on at all times? I don’t think he really was – the amount of pressure that was sitting on his shoulders. [But] he had to be active; he couldn’t be inactive. He has to earn money – he’s got a wife and two kids and a mortgage – he had to earn money. There was more deciding factors for him to fight than there weren’t to fight. He got in shape; he trained hard; he sparred hard; he went to America and sparred hard for both of them fights. He won, and boxed well in both the fights, actually. He had a 10-rounder and a 12-rounder – he done 22 rounds, which will now stand him in good stead. That was only in February, that last fight. The other one, before that, was in September. He’s actually not been inactive. He could have been sitting around for two years with not one fight under his belt, so it’s actually become really, really beneficial.

“It was only in February he done 12 hard rounds. If you look at Eubank – he was out for a year and he just come back and had a fight. By the time Conor fights, hopefully in February, it’ll be 12 months – ideally he’d like to get a warm-up fight before them fights but them fights are here now and they’re present. You’ve got to take your opportunities when you can. You can’t say, ‘I want an eight-rounder or a 10-rounder,’ because them opportunities go elsewhere. While those opportunities are here now he’s gotta grab ‘em with both hands.”