Welterweight contender Conor Benn will try to maintain his hot streak against Chris van Heerden on Saturday in Manchester, England.
Conor Benn (20-0, 13 KOs) vs. Chris van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs)
Date: Saturday, April 16
Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (7 p.m. in U.K.) (main event later in show)
Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
TV/Stream:
DAZN
Cost: DAZN is $19.99 per month or $99 annually
Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
Rounds: 12
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: Benn 9½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Chris Billam-Smith vs. Tommy McCarthy, cruiserweights; Faroukh Kourbanov vs. Zelfa Barrett, junior lightweights
Prediction: Benn UD
Background: Benn is evolving into a legitimate welterweight contender. The 25-year-old son of Nigel Benn recorded three solid victories last year, stopping Samuel Vargas, outpointing Adrian Granados and brutally
knocking out Chris Algieri. The Algieri fight took place four months ago. Benn, a Londoner, has speed, power and a formidable skill set. He just needs more experience at the highest level of the sport. He is ranked No. 5 by three of the four major sanctioning bodies. Van Heerden, a Los Angeles-based South African, is a solid opponent. The 34-year-old southpaw has lost only one fight since 2010, an eighth-round knockout against Errol Spence Jr. in 2015. However, he has beaten only second-tier opponents and hasn’t been particularly active. He was last in the ring in December 2020, when
his fight with fast-rising contender Jaron Ennis lasted less than a full round because van Heerden was cut by a an accidental headbutt. The fight was ruled a no contest.
