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Boxing
New world champion 'ready' to fight Conor Benn in the UK: 'I see myself dominating him'
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Conor Benn has been offered a world title shot after his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr on November 15 – but not at welterweight.
Abass Baraou, who recently had his WBA interim super welterweight title elevated, has called out Benn – believing it’s a winnable fight for him.
"Conor Benn is around 154lbs. He’s a big name in the UK. I’d love to fight in the UK," Baraou told Sky Sports. “The fans are amazing. Coming to the UK, having a big fight like that, why not? I’m ready for it.”
“He’s a great fighter, he’s explosive. Fights with a lot of emotions. I know my skill, and I see myself dominating him and teaching him a little bit of something.”
Benn is currently preparing for his rematch with Eubank Jr at middleweight, but has made his intentions of dropping back down clear.
He has mostly spoken about chasing a world title at welterweight – specifically Mario Barrios’s WBC title. But there are concerns that Benn is being a bit ambitious in trying to return to welterweight, as he has not made 147lbs since 2022.
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Wasserman Boxing
Baraou thinks Benn will likely campaign at 154lbs after the rematch, and would be happy to welcome him back down to the division.
The German won the interim title by upsetting the odds and beating Yoenis Tellez in August via unanimous decision.
Terence Crawford was the champion at the time, but as soon as the first bell rang for his fight with Canelo Alvarez, Baraou was elevated to full champion status.
After becoming an unlikely champion, Baraou is now on the hunt for the biggest fights in one of the most talent-stacked divisions in the sport.
If he cannot get the Benn fight, he has a handful of other fighters on his radar, including his new mandatory challenger and former undisputed champion, Jermell Charlo.
“There are a lot of names in this division,” Baraou explained. “Charlo’s said to be mandatory, Xander Zayas got into the ring right after [his last fight]. It’s a stacked division.
“It can be anyone. Xander Zayas, Charlo, [Sebastian] Fundora would be a great fight, a unification.”
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