CONOR Benn has distanced himself from a mooted showdown with domestic rival Chris Eubank Jr, targeting a shot at world honours instead.
The pair were scheduled to lock horns back in October 2022, with middleweight contender Eubank Jr boiling himself down to face the unbeaten welterweight at 157 lbs.
However, their catchweight contest was cancelled once it emerged that Benn had failed two drug tests conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA).
While his licence to box professionally in the UK was swiftly suspended, ‘The Destroyer’ has since amassed two victories in the US, outpointing both Rodolfo Orozco and Peter Dobson.
But then, towards the end of last year, Benn’s ban was lifted by the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP), allowing him to reapply for his licence.
Shortly after the development, talks for a dustup with Eubank Jr began to reemerge, with the 35-year-old offering a 55-45 split in his favour.
But sure enough, Benn’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, insisted that they would settle for nothing less than a 50-50 split, leaving their potential matchup in the balance.
Instead, the 28-year-old has expressed an interest in taking on WBC world welterweight champion Mario Barrios, revealing his new ambition on social media earlier today.
On his Instagram story, the Brit wrote: “No socials. I’m locked in. 2025 – WBC world champion.”
Barrios comes off a fiercely contested draw against Abel Ramos, defending his belt in an enthralling battle on the undercard of Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson.
Benn, meanwhile, is seemingly yet to reapply for his licence with the British Boxing Board of Control, despite being given the green light after the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) chose not to appeal the NADP’s decision on his ban.
