Conor Benn will not only be stepping up in terms of opponent when he faces Sebastian Formella, but the son of the legendary 'Dark Destroyer' Nigel Benn will also be stepping up into the main event slot following the postponement of Dillian Whyte's rematch with Alexander Povetkin.
Whyte needs to avenge his shock loss to Povetkin from Matchroom Fight Camp 4 in August to salvage his world heavyweight title aspirations, but with Povetkin testing positive for COVID-19, that return bout for the interim WBC title must wait until early 2021.
Unbeaten Benn was set to provide chief support to Whyte-Povetkin II in his first fight for over a year, due mostly to the effects the pandemic has had on live boxing as a whole. The bout with seasoned former IBO welterweight titleholder Formella is seen by many as the Londoner's first serious step towards world title contention, and he will be looking to make up for lost time on Nov. 21.
"I don't worry about what he can do," the 24-year-old 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 vs. Formella fight date, start time
- Date: Saturday Nov. 21
- Time: 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. EST
- Main event: 10 p.m. GMT/5 p.m. ET
The Benn vs. Formella card kicks off at 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. EST, with main event ringwalks anticipated for around 10 p.m. GMT/5 p.m. ET, depending on the runtime of the undercard.
Benn vs. Formella TV channel, live stream
- U.K.: Sky Sports Arena
- U.S.: DAZN
Initially set to be a Sky Box Office pay-per-view card in the U.K. with Whyte vs. Povetkin on top, that bout's postponement has led to the show being dropped down to Sky's subscription channel specialising in combat sports, Sky Sports Arena. It will also be streamable for subscribers via the Sky Go app.
Meanwhile, the show will air live on DAZN in all nine DAZN markets, including the U.S. Click here to learn how to watch on DAZN.
Where is the Benn vs. Formella fight?
The card takes place at the SSE Arena, Wembley. The indoor venue, a stone's throw from the iconic Wembley Stadium, is hosting four consecutive Matchroom cards as part of a residency deal that included Oleksandr Usyk vs. Dereck Chisora, Katie Taylor vs. Miriam Gutierrez and will conclude with Billy Joe Saunders vs. Martin Murray on Dec. 4. All four shows take place within a "bubble", fully compliant with COVID-19 guidelines.Conor Benn record and bio
- Nationality: British
- Born: London
- Height: 5'8"
- Total fights: 16
- Record: 16-0 (11 KOs)
Sebastian Formella record and bio
- Nationality: German
- Born: Lauenburg
- Height: 5'11"
- Total fights: 23
- Record: 22-1 (10 KOs)
Benn vs. Formella full card
- Conor Benn (16-0, 11 KOs) vs. Sebastian Formella (22-1, 10 KOs), 10 rounds, WBA continental welterweight title
- Fabio Wardley (9-0, 8 KOs) vs. Richard Lartey, 10 rounds at heavyweight
- Alen Babic (5-0, 5 KOs) vs. Tom Little (10-8, 3 KOs), 8 rounds at heavyweight
- Ben Ridings vs. Jez Smith, 6 rounds at middleweight
- Liam Davies (7-0, 2 KOs) vs. Sean Cairns (7-2, 1 KO), 10 rounds, vacant English bantamweight title