Conor Benn Returns For Toughest Test Yet
This Saturday should have seen the rematch between Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin until the Russian was diagnosed with COVID-19. However, one man’s loss is another’s gain, as we see the return of Conor Benn. The Destroyer will be headlining and competing for the WBA Continental welterweight title against Sebastian Formella. The card will be live from Wembley Arena and shown exclusively on Sky Sports.
Alen Babic vs Tom Little
An intriguing bout with both fighters who have the ability to put on a show. Babic is coming off the back of his dominant onslaught of Niall Kennedy where he proved himself at heavyweight. Little on the other hand, comes into this fight in the best shape of his career.
Little has greater experience as a pro, with fights against Dubois and Hrgovic, providing another stern test for the Croatian. There are still some doubters as to whether Babic can compete with the top talent in the division however there is no doubt that he is one of the most entertaining fighters at the moment.
Fabio Wardley vs Richard Lartey
After a fight against Lucas Browne looked promising, due to lengthy quarantine rules what would have been an interesting matchup fell through. However, they have found a steady opponent in Ghana’s Richard Lartey who similar to Tom Little, he has competed with other top young heavyweights. Therefore providing an opportunity for Wardley to see where he is truly at, after such a short boxing career. Wardley showed his ability by winning the English title and knocking out Simon Valilly in ‘Fight Camp’. A win on Saturday night will once again show he is ready for the next step in his progression. Lartey is coming into the fight having lost a unanimous decision to Nathan Gorman on a Queensbury show only last month.
Wardley told the East Anglian Times: “Lartey’s a great opponent for me at this stage of my career. He’s a really strong and durable opponent that will definitely look to test me and take me into the later rounds. You’ve seen in his previous fights that he’s not shy of a tear up, so there may be moments in the fight when I’ll have to bite down on my gum shield and get stuck in, which I can’t wait for!”
Conor Benn vs Sebastian Formella
This will be Benn’s first outing of 2020, and Matchroom has given him the opportunity to headline an interesting card. It will be the third defence of his WBA Continental title, which he won in July of 2018. Without the pandemic, Benn may have already been looking for a world title opportunity, but like many, he has been made to wait.
Formella will be his toughest test to date and is a former IBO world champion. He impressively took Shawn Porter this distance earlier this year. It provides Benn with the biggest opportunity of his career to date, with a stoppage sending a message to the welterweight division.
Benn told Sky Sports: "It's my trainer's job to watch him. I don't need him getting in my head. I don't need to be thinking about what he can do. I know what I can do. Come fight night, I don't think he'll have firepower like me. He's obviously coped with Shawn Porter but I'm going in there to make a statement."
Benn has been called out by a number of competitors including Florian Marku and Chris Jenkins. Win or lose, there will still be a long queue to fight the Londoner in 2021.
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Date: 21st November 2020
Time: 19:00
Venue: SSE Arena
Where to Watch: Sky Sports Arena