Conor Benn has been provisionally suspended again due to the ongoing doping saga

British welterweight Conor Benn continues to be plagued by problems after receiving two positive drug tests for the banned drug clomiphene in 2022 as he seeks to be cleared to fight in the UK.

Today’s bad news for 27-year-old Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) is that the British Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) has again provisionally suspended him after hearing its appeal against the NADP’s decision to ban him had won. They had given Benn permission to continue his career, but that is no longer happening.

Impact on Benn’s career

With Matchroom promoted Conor Benn’s ban reinstated, it’s a huge disappointment for him, his team and promoter Eddie Hearn. This means Benn cannot fight in the UK, where his main fan base is.

This puts Benn in a situation where he will have to continue fighting in the US, probably in front of small crowds. Benn hasn’t been able to win over American fans the way he has won over British fans, as US fans aren’t in awe of him being the son of British legend Nigel Benn.

Casual American boxing fans have never heard of Nigel Benn and are therefore not as interested in Conor Benn’s career as British fans. But here’s the thing: even if Nigel was from the US, American fans still wouldn’t be as excited to watch Conor Benn fight as they are in the UK. It’s a different country.

In the US you actually have to prove yourself and you can’t rely on a famous dad to gain a following like in the UK. For example, Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, does not have a large following in the United States, despite being associated with the greats.

UKAD will continue its investigation into Benn before a final hearing on his case takes place. The good news for Benn is that he can continue to fight in the US until he eventually gets permission to fight in the UK.

If Benn continues to look as lackluster as he has lately, it might not matter if he is eventually cleared to fight in the UK. He looked bad in his two fights in the USA against Peter Dobson and Rodolfo Orozco.

Many boxing fans have noticed that the punching power that Benn showed in fights against Chris Algieri, Samuel Vargas and Chris Van Heerden is now gone. Benn looks just as weak and vulnerable now as he did when he struggled to defeat second division contender Cedrick Peynaud in 2018.