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Conor Benn calls out UFC pound-for-pound star to bare-knuckle fight
Conor Benn has called out one of the most feared fighters in the UFC for a bare-knuckle boxing match.
In a video posted by TNT Sports, Benn took aim at UFC fighters, who think they can cross over to boxing and be successful, calling out a pound-for-pound star and former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.
Benn said: “Any of these MMA lot want to come over to boxing, if you fancy somebody, you can come get it…nasty. I’ll fight anybody – bareknuckle – anybody that wants to come over from the UFC. Ilia [Topuria], I’ve got these hands brother.”
Topuria is one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC today, holding a record of 17-0 with 15 of those victories inside the distance.
He recently claimed the UFC featherweight title, beating Alex Volkanovski, who is considered as one of the greatest featherweights of all time.
Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
After defending his belt against Max Holloway, he moved up in weight to lightweight (155lbs) and defeated former champion and UFC veteran Charles Oliveira via first-round knockout.
Benn believes even without gloves, his striking is more than enough to topple the UFC star, but quickly qualified his callout by saying that he would never get in the cage because he knows that he would get beaten, which is why he has a problem with UFC fighters showing 'disrespect' to boxers.
Benn said: “Listen, I ain’t stupid enough to go in the cage. Do you know why? Because I would get my ass handed to me. But for them thinking they can come over and do that to us, it’s a liberty. Don’t disrespect us boxers.”
Both men operate in similar weights, with Conor Benn having had fights between 147lbs and 160lbs and Topuria between 145lbs and 155lbs, so a crossover super fight is not outside of the realms of possibility.
But ‘The Destroyer’ is currently tied up in his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr on November 15, back at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, after he suffered his first loss in a fight of the year contender in April.
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