Chris Eubank Jr admits he is going into “uncharted territory” with the fight-day weight stipulation for his clash with Conor Benn.
Eubank and Benn meet in a Ring Magazine event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
The bout has been made at middleweight, Eubank’s division, with Benn moving up from welter.
But the amount of weight they can put on after Friday’s weigh-in is limited. Neither fighter can be more than 10lbs over the 160lbs limit.
Eubank, who turned professional in 2011, has had a long career. But he’s never dealt with having to make weight additionally on fight day.
“Uncharted territory,” he admitted to Sky Sports. “It’s one of those things that when a challenge is put in front of me, I don’t shy away from it. It excites me.”
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Eubank had several major mid-career fights at super-middle before returning to the 160lbs division. Staying at middleweight remains a task in itself.
“The real weight cut doesn’t really come until the week of the fight for most fighters. It’s tough. I’m not going to lie. It’s not fun, it’s not nice. It’s part of the sport having to boil yourself down to a certain weight,” he said.
“Adding in the fact I can’t even drink as much as I want after the weigh-in adds another element of discomfort, hardship to what I’m going through.
“But this is what we sign up for. This is what we do as professional athletes. As elite-level fighters we have to go through these trials, these tribulations.
“I’ve been doing it my entire career so I have no doubt that the weight will be made.”
Andy Scott is joined by Joe Cordina and Gary Logan to analyse the key strategies and tactics that will be used by Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn on fight night
He revealed: “I actually have no idea how my body’s going to react. It’s something I’ve never done before.
“Usually I put on around 14lbs after a weigh-in. In this instance I can only put on 10.
“So I have a decision,” he explained. “I can either restrict what I’m eating or drinking so I can make the 10lb limit the day of the fight or I rehydrate as normal, get up to my 14lbs as usual then cut the weight on the day.
“I don’t know which one I’m going to do. It’s going to be an on-the-day decision, however I feel is going to be best for my body and my spirit at that moment in time. We will see.
“I like doing things I’ve never done before,” he concluded. “I like doing things which people think I can’t do. I rise to the occasion and I will make the weight.”
George Groves says Conor Benn hasn’t fought at the same level of his opponent Chris Eubank Jnr – and believes Saturday’s fight is a big step up for him
Will he make it?
Former WBA super-middleweight world champion George Groves will be one of the expert pundits on the Sky Sports Box Office broadcast.
Groves has sparred many rounds with Eubank during his career and fought him in a 2018 world title fight at the Manchester Arena.
Groves believes Eubank won’t be derailed by weight-making issues in this fight with Benn.
“I don’t think Eubank is the sort of guy who cuts a load of weight last minute. They’re the ones who are obviously going to put all the weight back on [on the day of the fight],” Groves told Sky Sports.
“He doesn’t look like he’s got the body type that balloons up and shrinks down. I think he’ll be fine.”
Chris Eubank vs Conor Benn will be live on Saturday April 26 on Sky Sports Box Office. Book now!
