Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn 2: What to expect in the epic rematch in London

It took years for rivals Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. to finally share the ring. Their first fight took place in April and was a surprising entrant into the Fight of the Year conversation. On Saturday in London, Benn and Eubank will run it back for a highly anticipated rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The rivalry between the two fighters dates back to their fathers, Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn, who fought two historic British megafights in the 1990s. As the sons met in April, it led to the reunion of the Eubanks after years of being estranged. Eubank Sr. was by his son's side for the first fight and the pair have continued to build their relationship in the months that followed, with Eubank Jr. saying he spent his 36th birthday with his father, having "conversations which we've never had before."

The narrative coming into the first fight was that Benn would be too small to handle Eubank's power. Eubank is a natural 160-pound fighter who had fought as high as 168 pounds. Meanwhile, Benn mostly fought around 147 pounds. Eubank even slightly missed weight, coming in 0.05 pounds heavy and forfeiting $500,000 for the weight miss.

Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn overdeliver on expectations in giving fans a cinematic masterpiece

Brian Campbell

Despite that narrative, it was Benn who came out firing winging power punches, even scoring the first shot that truly hurt either man, a big left hand that forced Eubank to clinch and recover.

Eubank eventually began to take over the fight as the two men continued to trade shots in furious exchanges. By the end of 12 rounds of action, the fans had been treated to a spectacular fight, and Eubank got the win by unanimous scorecards of 116-112.

"I'm feeling good. Everything is on track for a Chris Eubank Jr. KO win," Eubank said after Friday's weigh-ins. "As you just said, this is what I love to do, this is my life. I'm not excited, this is who I am as a human being, as a man. I was born, I was bred to fight and I cannot wait to go out there tomorrow and show the world what I'm made of once again."

A rematch was a sure thing, though there were delays. The original plan was for the rematch to take place in September, but Eubank said he would not be able to be ready for the date, pushing it to Saturday.

"I'm excited to get out there and do the business and put on a great show for the fans and supporters. It's a blessing," Benn said. "Obviously, I'm a welterweight, but for this fight, I want to come in heavy and come in at the weight I am. Chris can do what he wants. I'm not concerned about him or what he does. Ultimately, I'm fighting at middleweight so I'm coming in at middleweight." 

The undercard also sees the return of Jack Catterall when he takes on Ekow Essuman at welterweight. Catterall put on arguably one of the best performances of his career in 2022 when he challenged Josh Taylor for the undisputed junior welterweight title, but dropped a split decision in his opponent's home country. Catterall did get his revenge when they rematched two years later, but no titles were at stake. Now at 147 pounds, Catterall is looking to make a statement and move closer to his first world title.

Let's take a closer look at the rest of the undercard with the latest odds before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event.

Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn 2 fight card, odds

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

• Chris Eubank Jr. -190 vs. Conor Benn +140, middleweights
• Jack Catterall -235 vs. Ekow Essuman +170, welterweights
• Adam Azim -1667 vs. Kurt Scoby +850, junior welterweights
• Ishmael Davis -345 vs. Sam Gilley +240, junior middleweights
• Richard Riakporhe vs. Tommy Welch, heavyweights
• Mikie Tallon -5000 vs. Fezan Shahid +1400, flyweights

Prediction

The first fight felt like Benn giving everything he had in his entire body and soul, and he still came up short. It was incredible to see him fire big shots from the jump, throwing off the narrative that he was too small and had faced very little legitimate competition in his career. Even more impressive was Benn's ability to absorb heavy shots from a much bigger man.

The real question entering the rematch is if Benn can possibly be better than he was in April. That's a very big ask for Benn. Eubank is still the bigger fighter, and has better pure boxing skills. The more skilled fighter is likely to be the fighter who is able to make the bigger adjustments in a rematch.

For as great as the first fight was, I'm expecting the rematch to be more one-sided in Eubank's favor, though Benn will have his moments. Pick: Chris Eubank Jr. via TKO9