Conor Benn has been refused permission to fight Chris Eubank Jr as his doping saga rumbles on.
Benn has agreed terms to fight his bitter rival with the bout pencilled in for February 3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But that is conditional on him being granted a licence in the UK after Benn gave his up last year following his failed drugs test. He had been due to face Eubank Jr last October before the fight was canceled due to the adverse finding.
Benn's provisional ban was lifted in July and he returned to the ring with a routine points win over Rodolfo Orozco in Florida in September. But UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) appealed that decision and a hearing will now take place next year, before which Benn is unlikely to be given the green light to face Eubank Jr, a decision which could force promoter Eddie Hearn to take the fight abroad with the Middle East a potential alternative.
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Speaking to talkSPORT, British Boxing Board of Control General Secretary Robert Smith said: “The Board feel that any athlete, not just a boxer, but any athlete who has failed a drugs test needs to go through an investigation with the proper authorities and that hasn’t happened.
"We’re waiting for that to happen and the Boxing Board and UKAD (UK Anti-Doping) have been pushing for that to happen right from the beginning of this and unfortunately it’s been delayed, not through the Boxing Board of Control or UKAD, but through other parties.”
“With regard to Mr Benn boxing in this country, we have had an application for him to box in this country, that has been refused. They [Hearn] can put out what they want ultimately, but they haven’t been through the proper authorities and as I said before we’re really keen to get this done right from the beginning.”