Conor Benn will return to action in back-to-back American fights at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas against Peter Dobson on Saturday, February 3. The fight will air live worldwide on DAZN – with Benn headlining early afternoon in Las Vegas for prime time viewing in the UK.
Benn (22-0 14 KOs) stepped back through the ropes for the first time in 17 months in Orlando with a 10-round points win over rugged Mexican Rodolfo Orozco. ‘The Destroyer’, ranked #5 with the WBC, is targeting the big names and world title honors in 2024, and starts that journey against Dobson in the Essex man’s first headline turn in the States over 12 rounds at welterweight.
"Headlining in Vegas is a dream come true, not just for me, but for any fighter who grew up watching the sport of boxing," said Benn. "Vegas has been the stage for many legends before me, and I can't wait to step into that arena on February 3rd against the undefeated Welterweight Peter Dobson, who stepped up to accept the challenge when many wouldn’t.
"I was disappointed when my previous fight fell through, but in this sport, when one door shuts, another one opens. This setback has brought me back to where I need to be, and I'm here to put the entire 147 division on notice.
"I want to thank my family, my dedicated team, my loyal friends, and fans who have supported me throughout my journey. We have an exciting 2024 ahead of us, starting with our Vegas debut, marking the beginning of our pursuit for world welterweight championships."
“I want to thank Matchroom for keeping their word and circling back to me after a few fights fell through previously,” said Dobson. “Eddie Hearn is a standup guy. Let's hope Conor Benn stays healthy and comes ready, but the fact is, I've said yes to everyone Matchroom has given me. Agyarko, McCormack, and now Benn.
“Conor is coming to the US and going to get his ass whooped. He's not his daddy. He never seen anyone like me. ‘Pistol’ Pete Dobson is about to ruin another Matchroom hype job. This time in the ring.”
The co-feature bout in Las Vegas features another unbeaten battle as middleweight contender Austin Williams takes on Connor Coyle for the WBA International and IBF North American titles. Like Benn, Williams (15-0 10 KOs) last stepped through the ropes in Orlando where he recorded a 15th win in the paid ranks over former world title challenger Steve Rolls. ‘Ammo’ sits pretty at #3 in the WBA rankings, and that’s a position that the man in the opposite corner would love to jump into, with Florida-based Irishman Coyle (20-0 9 KOs) sitting at #6 and entering the bout on a pair of wins this year, the latest being a fifth-round KO win over Joey Bryant in Mississippi in August, in a third defense of his NABA middleweight title.
“Nothing gets my blood flowing more than the opportunity to break an unbroken fighter,” said Williams. “February 3, Conor Coyle will experience a world-class athlete for the first time, and he will understand why they say there are levels to boxing.”
“I’m excited for this fight on February 3,” said Coyle. “Two hungry middleweights going head-to-head to get a step closer to a world title, it’ll be a great fight for anyone’s viewing!”
British heavyweight sensation Johnny Fisher (10-0 9 KOs) takes his 'Romford Bull Army' across the Atlantic for his U.S. debut after enjoying a brilliant 2023 that saw him score three knockouts from three fights, picking up the Southern Area heavyweight title in his last fight on the Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius undercard in August before being named the 2023 'Best Young Boxer of the Year' by the prestigious Boxing Writers’ Club the following month.
“This is a big night for Conor where he can send a message to the world champions and elite names that he’s ready to take them on in 2024,” said Hearn. “Conor has the itchiest of knuckles to get in there and he’s on a seek and destroy mission in Las Vegas – but what an opportunity for Peter to rip up the script and break into the big time – and fight fans in the UK will be able to watch Conor at 11pm UK rather than in the middle of the night.
“Ammo versus Connor is a really good clash at 160lbs with both men needing to underline their world title credentials on the big stage, and we will be adding more stars to the card soon.”
An announcement with ticket on-sale information and more undercard fights will be made soon.