On Saturday night, Conor Benn faces Regis Prograis in the co-main event of the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov bill at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Ahead of the action, fan-favourite four-division champion Roy Jones Jr has shared his thoughts.
Benn has competed up at middleweight against Chris Eubank Jr in his last two contests and has not fought below 154lbs since he knocked out South Africa’s Chris van Heerden, almost four years ago.
However, Benn maintains that he plans to compete for Ryan Garcia’s WBC welterweight (147lb) world title later this year and is set to take on two-time super-lightweight world champion Prograis at a catchweight of 150lbs this weekend.
With Benn coming down in weight and 37-year-old Prograis coming up for this well-paid scrap, some fans are concerned that the latter could be in for a rough night, especially amid rumours of an injury sustained during training camp.
Yet, speaking on the All The Smoke Fight podcast, Jones declared his belief that Prograis would not proceed with a bout which he doesn’t think he will win, dismissing fans’ suspicion that the New Orleans operator is cashing out by accepting a showdown with Benn.
“It [a cash-out fight] happens for some people, but it is not happening for Regis like that. Regis is a pure, true guy, who wants to win. He is a winner. He is not going to cash out with nobody. If he comes in there, he thinks that he is going to beat you.
“With that being said, that is why it is also going to be a crossroads fight for Conor too. If Conor can’t dominate this fight, it is going to say ‘Conor, you ain’t what we thought you were’.”
The full Fury-Makhmudov card takes place on Saturday night and will be available to watch live on Netflix.
