OFF THE RECORD WITH CONOR BENN

Published: 07/11/2025, By: Alex Courbat

Conor Benn has worked tirelessly to forge his own name, becoming one of British boxing’s brightest stars. There’s no denying that. But, as the son of British legend Nigel Benn, you might think his path in the ring was set from birth. That wasn’t the case. He could easily have gone a completely different way. As part of Sports Direct’s new Christmas campaign, we caught up with the welterweight champion to talk pressure, mindset, sacrifices and…how he got started.

It’s the 26th of April 2025. The new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London is heaving – 67,000 people packed in, thousands more watching from home. The atmosphere is electric. And at the centre of it all stands Conor Benn, with his dad by his side. No nerves. No hesitation. Pure determination. He belongs here. Hard to think that boxing wasn’t always part of the plan for Conor. In fact, it wasn’t part of the plan at all.

When he was sixteen and living in Sydney, Conor first slipped on a pair of boxing gloves just for a laugh. There were no big ambitions, no grand plans – just a bit of fun. But what started as a joke quickly turned serious. Within a few years, he had racked up 20 wins out of 22 amateur fights. Turns out, those Benn genes were hard to ignore.

But even then, boxing wasn’t his only focus. He earned his PT qualifications, completed a Master’s in Fitness, and explored other paths before realising what truly lit him up. “Boxing was it for me,” he says without hesitation. You’d think, considering the baggage that comes with name Benn, it was destiny. Not for Conor. “I believe whatever I would have chosen to do with the same principles and mindset I applied to boxing, I would have translated into anything I would have done. Whether I was painting and decorating, whether it was working in a gym, whatever it was, I would have done my best to be the best I can at whatever it was I chose to pursue.”

And that’s what defines him – not the surname, not the sport, but the attitude. “Whatever it is, no matter how small or big the job is, just do your best.”

So how did boxing really click for Conor? Funny enough, for someone who grew up under the Australian sun, it was one cold, noisy night in Manchester that changed everything. “It was Ricky Hatton’s last fight that I went to that really made me fall in love with the game,” Benn remembers. “It was the first fight I’d ever been to… and also his last. I thought, wow, this is incredible.”

One night was all it took. From that point on, he was hooked. He packed up, left his family home, and swapped beaches for the drizzle of London. “I left my family home to come here and pursue my dream,” he says. It’s a huge move – the kind that separates people who dream about doing something from those who actually go out and do it.

And of course, turning up in Britain with that surname came with a fair bit of pressure. His dad, Nigel Benn, isn’t just a boxer; he’s a legend – a man whose name still echoes through British sport. For some, that kind of legacy could feel heavy. For Conor, it’s motivation. “They say pressure makes diamonds,” he says. “Anything you do in life, it comes with pressure, it comes with a responsibility. I’m blessed to be able to have that pressure. Not everyone’s cut out to deal with intense pressure. Me, fortunately, I am.”

Don’t get it mixed up though. This isn’t arrogance. It’s gratitude. He knows the privilege and pressure that come with his name. Does that shield him from fear? Far from it. “The first time I stepped onto the ring, I was scared. I was very scared. It was petrifying,” he admits. “No one can prepare you for it. Only yourself.”

That honesty is what makes his story so relatable. Because fear is universal – whether you’re stepping into a boxing ring or starting something totally new. The trick is not to let it stop you. “Fear can stop you from taking chances, taking risks, fear can stop you from trying to achieve your goals, fear of failure, fear of everyone laughing at you,” he says. “None of this is even real. It’s all in your head. So many people let fear hold them back. But they should know that on the other side of fear is success and greatness.”

He grins, knowing how it sounds. “It’s like cringy and cliché, but the reality is people – if you’re just comfortable where you are and you like being comfortable, there’s nothing wrong with that. Perfectly fine. But if you are chasing greatness, you’re going to have to go through fear. You’re going to have to go through adversity. You’re going to have to go through setbacks. It’s all part of success. It’s life.”

That’s the mindset that’s carried him to the top – and the same one that anyone can apply, in any walk of life. “You can always get better. You can always do better,” he says. “Even if it’s 0.5%, 1%, 2% or 3% – if you put in the work every day, it all adds up. And you never stop getting better at anything you choose to apply yourself to.”

Progress, he explains, doesn’t always show up overnight. “You may not notice the difference within two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, five weeks. But in two months, three months, six months – when you look back, it’s all different. And you see a completely different version of yourself.” Even at the highest level, Conor still sees himself as a work in progress – constantly learning, constantly growing.

That’s the point. You don’t have to be a Benn, or a boxer, or even an athlete. You just have to start. Because on the other side of fear, discomfort, and that awkward first attempt is a better version of yourself. It will take time, but small, consistent steps can – and will – change everything.

Conor Benn left home to chase a dream. He didn’t do it because he was fearless – he did it because he was willing to go through it to become great. And if there’s anything to take from this story, it’s this: get started – even if that means getting out of your comfort zone. Who knows what will be waiting on the other side?