Conor Benn: Boxing’s star fighter on his upcoming bout vs Ryan Garcia, opens up on the scariest moment of his life, dark mental health struggles, the effects of suspension, legacy of his family name, Dana White support and finding identity beyond boxi

**Conor Benn** (0:00)
So good, so good, so good.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:01)
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**Ryan Clark** (0:30)
Boxing stories normally start with the fighter. Conor Benn's story starts with his father. Nigel Benn was a legend, a former WBC champion whose success gave Conor the privilege of growing up in the best schools, biggest houses and safest neighborhoods. So why even start boxing at 17?
It's pretty simple answer.

**Channing Crowder** (0:50)
Conor loves to fight.

**Ryan Clark** (0:51)
Now on the precipice of one of his biggest fights, Conor sits down with us and things get real. We talk demon possession, the pressures of being a legacy kid, faith, family, fear, and ending a decades long feud with the U-Bank family. Then the conversation takes us on an emotional turn as Conor details the night he almost ended his own life. There wasn't a dry eye on set. Finally, we get into his upcoming fight with Ryan Garcia and what a win would mean to him. Conor Benn is already a star in the UK and one of the best fighters in the world. But after this sit down, he may just become one of your favorite people. So please welcome Conor Benn to The Pivot as he sits down with me, Chan and Freddie T.
First off, Conor, man, thank you for allowing us to come here. We appreciate it. Conor Benn, 25 and 1, on the cusp of starting your United States greatness. So we're excited about that. This is Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor, I'm Ryan Clark, Pivot fam. Thank you for pivoting with us.
I just want to tell people, right, we were supposed to do this before, and our producer, she was coming to tell you about yourself.
So she walks over to you at Fanatics Fest. I'm running over to back her up, right? And by the time I get over there, she's just looking at it in his eyes, and telling him, thank you.

**Channing Crowder** (2:34)
And I'm like, wait, I thought we was coming over here to start some beef.

**Ryan Clark** (2:41)
She was like, he was just so nice, and so kind, and so charismatic. I was like, see, you got-

**Conor Benn** (2:46)
I'll tell you that. I'll tell you that.

**Ryan Clark** (2:48)
I was like, you got Conor Benn.

**Fred Taylor** (2:49)
Yeah, you got Benn.

**Ryan Clark** (2:51)
Yeah, but nah, man, just welcome. We're excited about it.

**Conor Benn** (2:55)
Thank you.

**Ryan Clark** (2:56)
Talk a little bit, man, about having someone in your life who could be a hero, not only as a father, but with what he was able to accomplish and following in his footsteps. What sort of pressure has that been on you?

**Conor Benn** (3:12)
Yeah, it was a lot of pressure when I was younger.
I've done this too many times now for it to be an accident. I am a fighter, and it's not because I say so, my DNA says so. I'm my father's son. Yeah, it comes with pressure, but it also opened doors for me that wouldn't have opened before. So all that comes with pressure, and an immense amount of pressure to follow an icon in the sport of boxing. The doors is open for me. How can I not sit back and look and count the blessings?
Pressure is a privilege.
So I sit down and I go, I'm obviously meant to be able to deal with it. I'm obviously meant to be able to cope with the pressure and the expectation from the public. But this was early days. This was early on in my career where I felt the pressure. Not so much anymore. Not at all anymore.

**Ryan Clark** (4:06)
Is it true that your pops had your nose bloody and chipped your tooth the first time you stepped into the ring though?

**Conor Benn** (4:12)
This wasn't even in the ring. This was in the garage. Yeah, we put the gloves on. Do you know what my dad's like? My dad is a...
He really is a hero and someone I look up to and idolise.
He was firm with me. He let me know that the life I lived, which was a very privileged upbringing, I didn't come from no hardship. I didn't come from no... It was a beautiful life that I had that my dad created for the family, but he let me know this is because of me. This is... You're living the fruits of my labor. When you come of age, you've got to go and get it yourself. And he had a very good balance in doing that. Because I think as a parent, you want to give your child everything, right? I think as a parent, you want to give your kids everything you hadn't had. My dad fully let me know that we are where we are because of me. When you come of age, you're going to have to go and get it on your own.