Manny Pacquiao‘s next fight could come against one of the biggest names in British boxing.

Pacquiao hasn’t fought since a majority decision draw in a WBC welterweight title fight with Mario Barrios back in July 2025.

The eight-division world champion had been expected to have a rematch with former foe Floyd Mayweather this year, but after that contest fell through, the Filipino icon was instead linked to a match-up on the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua card next month.

That is no longer set to happen eitherbut recent world title challenger Conor Benn has revealed to Sky Sports that he is interested in facing Pacquiao, having been unable to commit to the date in December.

“He’s an all-time legend. He’s an eight-division world champion. He’ll go down in the history books. Another stadium show sounds nice.

“I know the Pacquiao fight was offered to me for December. And I wasn’t ready to get the fight done in December. But if he wants it Q1 next year, we can do Pacquiao.

December was just too soon, making weight, I’ve got a new-born son, so for me it was really about spending time with my family. If Q1, he wants to get it on again, I’m interested.

“I’m always in the gym, always working, if he wants it Q1 next year, we can do it, no problem.”

Benn last fought in September, suffering a second round stoppage loss to WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garciaand while Benn insisted that would be his last bout at 147lbs, it seems a potential bout with Pacquiao may convince him to remain in the division.

Cheavon Clarke stopped Chris Billam Smith in the seventh round at London’s Copper Box Arena, crediting former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko for the tactical blueprint that unraveled the former cruiserweight belt holder.

Asked about grabbing on to mess up Billam Smith’s timing, Clarke gave full credit to Klitschko’s old tactics.

“I learned that one from Klitschko. So, shout out Klitschko. That was a Klitschko special right there,” Clarke stated at the post-fight press conference.

The maneuver served as far more than basic stalling. Inside the ring, holding functions as an offensive exit strategy. A fighter stepping back after launching an attack enters counterpunching range. Smothering the reply by stepping forward eliminates that hazard, outsourcing the retreat to the referee.

That approach neutralized Billam Smith, who relies on sustained pocket combinations to do damage. Getting inside accomplished nothing when every entry resulted in wrapped arms. Each intervention by the referee forced Billam Smith to reset, handing Clarke another opportunity to score before initiating the next clinch.

Beyond killing the return fire, Clarke used his upper torso to press his full weight downward across Billam Smith’s neck. Forcing a fighter to carry dead weight round after round burns out their legs. By the middle rounds, Billam Smith was flat-footed, lacking the spring in his lower body required to absorb contact or dip away from incoming punches.

Clarke pushed the referee’s patience to the limit, later admitting he was warned about losing a point. A verbal warning means nothing to the fighter trapped in a headlock, though. Billam Smith needed to solve the problem himself instead of waiting on the official.

All that holding set the trap for the seventh round knockout. Clarke spent six rounds getting Billam Smith used to being grabbed after every punch. When Clarke stepped in during the seventh, Billam Smith dropped his hands to brace for another clinch. Clarke did not grab him this time. He ripped hard shots straight through the open guard, dropping Billam Smith twice before the referee stopped it at 1:24.

For the rematch, Billam Smith has to stop the clinch before Clarke gets both arms around him. He needs to fight for inside control, keeping one hand free to dig hard hooks into Clarke’s ribs. Timing an uppercut right when Clarke ducks forward would also make him think twice about diving in to grab. Once Clarke has both arms locked, trying to wrestle him off just burns energy without landing punches.

Billam Smith wants an immediate rematch, but running it back without fixing that flaw will lead to the exact same result. He has to hit Clarke on the way in before Clarke grabs him and forces the referee to step in.

Cheavon Clarke punished Chris Billam-Smith with cleaner punches before dropping him twice for a seventh-round TKO on Saturday at London’s Copper Box Arena. The finish came at 1:24, giving Clarke the biggest victory of his professional career and handing the former WBO cruiserweight champion his first stoppage defeat.

Clarke (13-2, 10 KOs) was ahead on our card entering the seventh, but Billam-Smith (22-3, 14 KOs) had just produced his strongest round. A well-timed right hand abruptly ended that recovery, sending Billam-Smith down for the first time as a professional. He beat the count, only for Clarke to attack again and force a second knockdown that brought the referee’s intervention.

The scheduled 10-round main event at Zuffa Boxing 12 carried personal history. Clarke had beaten Billam-Smith twice in the amateurs, including in the 2016 National Championships final. Billam-Smith wanted to settle that old score, but instead suffered a more damaging defeat against the same opponent.

Clarke’s accuracy was the difference from the opening round. The fight began with holding and short bursts of action, but he found the cleaner punches, including a right hand just before the bell. Billam-Smith improved in the second, closing the distance and landing heavier shots while absorbing another solid right.

That success did not become a sustained pattern. Clarke took control in the third with combinations, then edged a tighter fourth through two late right hands. Billam-Smith remained competitive, but his forward movement too often failed to produce enough clean offense.

The difficulty was getting close without paying for the journey. Billam-Smith needed to bring his hooks and body punches into range, yet Clarke repeatedly found him before he could establish that position. Following Clarke around left openings for counters and allowed the more accurate fighter to decide when to engage.

A heavy right in the fifth supplied another warning. Billam-Smith took it without visibly wilting and answered with effective punches late, but Clarke was still landing the more damaging shots. The former champion’s durability kept him competitive without solving the problems that were costing him rounds.

The sixth offered Billam-Smith a route back. He increased his output and connected with hooks to the head and body, finally making his close-range work more consistent. We had Clarke ahead 58-56 after six, with Billam-Smith having won the second and sixth rounds.

Then Clarke turned a points advantage into a decisive finish. His right hand in the seventh broke through with enough force to put Billam-Smith on the canvas. Once the former champion rose, Clarke gave him no opportunity to settle, following up until the second knockdown ended the contest.

Both fighters had entered after June stoppage victories, with Billam-Smith beating Ryan Rozicki and Clarke overcoming two knockdowns to stop Jack Massey. Those results suggested danger on both sides, but Clarke delivered the sharper work here.

For Billam-Smith, the defeat was more severe than another missed opportunity for amateur revenge. His pressure worked in spells, but Clarke’s timing prevented him from building on it. Clarke now has a stoppage victory over a former world champion, earned after controlling much of the fight rather than relying on one isolated punch.