Conor Benn says Saturday's fight against Chris Eubank Jr. was "meant to be," but he did not always feel that way.
Benn and Eubank will finally step into the ring together after a brewing rivalry that spans several years — one that extends a family rivalry going back decades.
However, given the different paths the fighters took to get to this point, Benn admitted that a bout against his rival was not always a sure thing.
"When you look at the stages we were at when we first turned pro to now you think, back then it was like just such a fantasy fight," Benn told DAZN.
"To then it materializing. Then having our own genre, our own story. You sit there and you go, 'it's meant to be.'"
Benn recalled that a fight against Eubank was often spoken about from the time he started out as a young boxer, mostly due to the fact that his father Nigel and Chris Eubank Sr. had one of British boxing's all-time greatest rivalries.
But it took specific circumstances for the fight to become reality, including a number of other big names not being able to agree a deal to face Benn.
"I never thought this fight would happen," he said. "Obviously the Benn-Eubank name was always mentioned, as it's going to when I first turned professional. But funny enough, the fight only happened because there was five fights that couldn't materialize.
"I think it was Jose Ramirez, Kell Brook or Amir Khan, [and] there were a couple other names mentioned that we wanted these fights to be made [with] and the fights wouldn't materialize. But this was the fight where I was supposed to have that big fight.
"We've then gone, 'alright then well give us Eubank', just throwing it out there like, 'well, give us Eubank then.' And it grew legs very quickly. And before you know, the fight was signed."
After years of build-up, the fight is now just around the corner. Benn only sees it ending one way.
"Final prediction is, I believe I knock Eubank Jr. out."
Watch three incredible fight nights in one week only on DAZN
Fight fans are in for a treat at the end of April / start of May, with three amazing fight cards within seven days - and DAZN PPV is the only place to watch them all.
- April 26: Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn
- May 2: Ryan Garcia vs. Rolly Romero; Devin Haney vs Jose Ramirez; Teofimo Lopez vs Arnold Barboza Jr.
- May 3: Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull
Arch rivals Eubank Jr. and Benn finally go head-to-head to start the exhilarating week, with PPV prices at £19.95 in the UK; $24.99 in the US; €24.99 in Europe.
Garcia vs. Romero and Canelo vs. Scull fight nights follow, which will both be exclusively on DAZN.