- Benn Targets Middleweight Comeback as Pacquiao Talks Remain Possible
Conor Benn says he is interested in fighting Manny Pacquiao in the first quarter of 2027, after revealing that a proposed December bout came too soon following his stoppage defeat to Ryan Garcia.
The fight is not confirmed. Benn said discussions could be reopened if Pacquiao remains willing, but offered no date, venue, weight limit or details of negotiations.
His comments nevertheless point to a possible high-profile return after a bruising first world-title challenge in Las Vegas in September.
“I know the Pacquiao fight was offered to me for December,” Benn said, explaining that he was not ready to take it on next month.
He cited the demands of making welterweight and the arrival of his newborn son as reasons for declining the timing. “If he wants it Q1 next year, we can do Pacquiao,” he added.
For Benn, the proposed contest would offer an immediate route back into a major event, but it would also raise questions about the division and conditions under which he would fight. He says he will not return to welterweight, where the Garcia bout took place.
Benn said he currently weighs between 185 and 186 pounds and described the process of reaching the 147-pound limit as damaging to his performance.
“I don’t know what I was thinking making 147lbs,” he said. He believes his future lies at middleweight, having also considered light-middleweight before concluding that the cut to welterweight had taken too much out of him.
His account suggests the decision about weight will be central to any Pacquiao negotiations, rather than a detail to be settled after the fight is agreed.
That matters because the physical demands of a lower weight can shape preparation, stamina and a fighter’s ability to perform on the night. Benn said that making the limit and performing well at it were different challenges, and that he “paid the price for chasing greatness.” He was clear, however, that he did not regard the weight issue as an excuse for the defeat.
Garcia stopped Benn inside two rounds, flooring him before the referee ended the contest. It was Benn’s first challenge for a world title and a sharp setback for a fighter whose career has been built around high-profile bouts and an aggressive style. Benn called the defeat “a hard pill to swallow,” but accepted that Garcia had been the better fighter on the night.
He also declined to criticise the referee for stopping the contest. Benn said he would have wanted to continue, but recognised that the official’s responsibility was to protect the fighter. “If he didn’t think I was fit to continue that was his call on the night,” he said.
The reaction shows Benn trying to balance the instinct of a competitor with the need to move forward after a damaging loss. He has not suggested the result should be overturned or disputed. Instead, he has acknowledged the defeat and signalled a return to training, while insisting that his next version as a fighter should be better.
Pacquiao would provide an opponent with a global profile and a substantial name beyond boxing’s immediate fan base. Benn called him an “all-time legend” and an eight-division world champion, and said another stadium event appealed to him.
Yet the scale of the name alone does not settle whether the fight makes sporting sense. The proposed weight, the timing of a return and the extent to which both fighters are prepared to commit will determine whether the bout moves beyond possibility.
Benn said he had been unable to accept the December proposal because it was too soon after the Garcia fight and because he wanted time with his family. He has now left the door open for the first three months of next year, saying he remains in the gym and would be ready to restart discussions if Pacquiao wants the fight.
The distinction between interest and a deal is important. Benn’s comments establish that an offer was made for December, as he describes it, and that he would consider a later date.
They do not confirm that Pacquiao has agreed to a new timetable, that negotiations have resumed or that the fighters’ teams have resolved the terms.
A Pacquiao bout could serve as a high-profile test of Benn’s ability to rebuild after a loss, but it would not remove the need to address the lessons of the Garcia fight. Benn’s own explanation points to weight management as one area requiring change.
The challenge will be to return at a division that allows him to perform at his best while preserving the attraction of a contest that fans and broadcasters would recognise as a major event.
The prospect also comes with a personal dimension. Benn said that the December date would have meant preparing for a fight while adjusting to life with a newborn son.
His decision to pass on that timing places family considerations alongside the physical aftermath of the Garcia bout. He has not ruled out the contest; he has argued that the timing must be right.
Benn’s next steps may therefore be judged on two fronts: whether he can rebuild his form after a quick stoppage loss, and whether a proposed move up in weight gives him a more sustainable path.
The Pacquiao fight could provide an attention-grabbing return, but the boxer’s remarks leave the essential details unresolved.
For now, Benn’s message is an invitation to continue the conversation, not an announcement of a signed fight. He is open to Pacquiao in early 2027, has rejected a return to welterweight and says he intends to come back stronger.
Whether that plan becomes a bout will depend on Pacquiao’s response and the terms both sides can agree.
