Conor Benn posted a photo on social media of himself standing next to a plane after arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for today’s Ring IV event at the ANB Arena. Benn is believed to be on reconnaissance mission for Devin Haney to see if he can claim victory in a title fight against WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. in their main support fight.
The reconnaissance mission begins
Fans are curious if Benn will enter the ring after the fight to publicly announce the winner of the Haney-Norman Jr. fight. This may not happen if Norman Jr. Haney will evaporate. Benn didn’t mention him. This is understandable because he would be very perilous to Conor, who was straightforward to hit.
Haney is one of the main names that Benn (24-1, 14 KO) shouted out last Saturday night after his victory over Chris Eubank Jr. in the rematch, which took place on November 15.
Conor Benn’s call-up list
Devin Haney
Ryan Garcia
Rolando “Rolly” Romero
Mario Barrios
Will there be an ambush after the fight?
If Benn wants Haney, he will have the opportunity to move up early before tonight’s fight if he wins. As long as Conor is allowed into the ring moments after the fight, he starts to sell the mega-fight between them.
Haney wants a rematch with Ryan Garcia, but will be tied for a while to a title fight against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on February 21, 2026. So there’s plenty of time for Haney and Benn to quickly set up a fight for early next year. Devin has to do his job against Norman Jr. tonight.
At this point, Benn seems to be very selective in his opponents. When he moved up to 160 pounds in two fights, he targeted the 168-pound Eubank Jr. and fought him at middleweight with a 10-pound hydration clause thrown in for good measure.
Chasing names, not danger
It was a double handicap, a triple handicap when you count the fact that he wasn’t facing any of the top 168-pounders like Osleys Iglesias, Lester Martinez, Christian Mbilli or Diego Pacheco.
Getting one of them down to 160 pounds and maintaining a 10-pound hydration handicap probably wouldn’t be effective. These guys would be like a pack of wolves if they were put into the ring at any weight against Conor Benn.
Gorokhov (16-11-2) had already done damage with large shots, finishing Kalkan (7-0, 4 KO) with a spotless knockout that forced the referee to wave his hand. The task has been completed.
After being detained, Gorokhov walked to the opposite corner, where a fight began. That was enough. The cornermen ran inside, the voices became piercing, followed by punches. Within seconds, many people entered the ring.
The situation got out of the referee’s control. The horns could not be separated. Once the non-fighters make it through the ropes, the result will be written in the record books.
The footage showed flying chairs and people trading on ropes as security tried to take control of the situation. The recording shows objects thrown near the ropes. The announcements to stop the fight didn’t change anything. The ring is already gone.
The sanctioning authority has confined powers and the ruling follows standard procedure. When the ropes are broken and extra hands are involved, the score cannot stand and is removed from the scoresheet.
An investigation is ongoing and suspensions and penalties are expected once reports are submitted. The verdict now comes from the officials, not the blows that ended it.
Kalkan keeps his undefeated record in the books. Gorokhov leaves without the victory he earned. Disciplinary action is expected following the investigation.
Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
Although Oleksandr Usyk presented his three-fight plan, a recent challenger entered the fight with hopes of taking a shot at the Ukrainian and winning the unified world heavyweight titles.
Next month’s meeting with Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven kicks off what Usyk envisioned as a series of three hand-picked fights before his planned retirement in 2027, with his next dance partner being the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois.
However, the WBC is expected to demand that Usyk fight mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel in his next fight, and promoter Frank Warren believes he will be stripped of his belt if he fails to face the undefeated German.
Meanwhile, the WBA and IBF titles are not on the line against Verhoeven, which has fight fans wondering whether Usyk could soon be stripped of those belts as well.
I’m talking to Fighting Hub TV after “Gigantic Baby” won, he told Usyk that there was nowhere to run or hide when fighting him.
“He’s a great fighter, man, but when you’re fighting a bully like me, there’s nowhere to run or hide. Usyk doesn’t really have crazy punching power, and he has trouble with guys who punch to the body and throw a lot of punches.”
This performance [against Pero] it was just a taste of what I could do. So the most essential thing is to go back and get the drawing board back. Let’s work and be ready for everyone.
I want Usyk to come back after the Rico fight and I can spank him.
If Usyk loses the WBA title, Miller could find himself in line for a title fight with current WBA Regular titleholder Murat Gassiew, who expected to be promoted to full champion. Although Moses Itauma would probably get the first shot at the proposed scrap with the Russian.
Benavidez enters Saturday’s fight with Gilberto Ramirez in a situation where even a tiny defeat may have a higher price than one defeat in history. Greater opportunities lie ahead, but those plans depend on beating Ramirez cleanly and leaving Las Vegas intact.
Benavidez will meet Ramirez on May 2 in Las Vegas in a fight for Ramirez’s WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles for $79.99. On paper, this is a bold move as Benavidez makes the jump from lightweight heavyweight to challenge an established titleholder who has already established himself in the division.
The pressure on Benavidez goes far beyond physical titles. For months, his name has been linked to huge opportunities at 175 pounds, most notably a clash with Dmitry Bivol. A loss to Ramirez would immediately derail those plans, forcing Benavidez into a rebuilding phase and delaying any significant career moves for the foreseeable future.
Winning in an ugly or narrow way can still invite skepticism. Benavidez is known for his constant pressure and high efficiency, and recently he has had a record of immaculate shots and has been forced to persevere in hard moments. Facing naturally larger opponents makes these defensive mistakes much more steep in the long run.
Ramirez may lack elite strength, but he has the experience and durability of a seasoned cruiserweight. He also enters the ring with much less weight on his shoulders than the challenger. All the pressure to perform rests entirely on Benavidez.
Therefore, the risk for Benavidez is much higher than for the man holding the belts. A victory will ensure that his path to mass fights remains clear, while any other result could immediately ruin his momentum and force him to spend time fighting Ramirez again. Getting stuck twice in the Ramirez fight would be a nightmare for Benavidez.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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