Nick ParkinsonApr 7, 2026, 08:30 AM

CloseReports on boxing for ESPN.com and has been covering British boxing for over 25 years.

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Conor Benn ‘is not special’ according to Regis Prograis. Getty

Regis Prograis insists Conor Benn is not as good as the previous opponents he faced in England, Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall.

The former world junior welterweight champion hopes to revive his career with a victory over Benn in a non-title welterweight bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday, on the undercard to Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Prograis (30-3, 24 KOs), 37, from New Orleans but based in Las Vegas, lost the WBA title on a majority points decision in a title unification fight vs. Taylor in London in 2019, when Benn (24-1, 14 KOs), 29, fought on the undercard. The American then lost a unanimous decision to Catterall in a non-title bout in Manchester in October 2024.

Prograis, whose second reign as champion was ended by Devin Haney in December 2023, rates both Taylor and Catterall as better opponents than Benn. Catterall (32-2, 14 KOs), 32, is the leading contender for Haney’s WBO world welterweight title, while Taylor (19-3, 13 KOs) retired last year due to an eye injury after three successive defeats.

Benn is one of the biggest boxing stars in the UK after he got revenge over rival Chris Eubank Jr. in the second of two high-profile super-middleweight bouts in November, but he has yet to fight for a world title.

“Three times a charm [for winning on English soil], I don’t think he’s better than Jack Catterall or Josh Taylor,” Prograis told ESPN.

“I just don’t think he’s on a world level. I’ve been No. 1 in the world before, I’ve been world champion twice and fought in title unification fights. He’s never been there before and I just don’t see it. People write a narrative about him though, because of his name.

“I’m not going to say he’s bad, but he’s not special, he’s in the middle.

“I’m better than him technically. Eubank Jr. is a different style but I think I’m just a better fighter than Conor Benn.

“When I got offered the fight, it was a no-brainer. I’m way more experienced. I have better opponents and more fights and I think I’m better all around.”

Regis Prograis will take on Conor Benn on Saturday. Al Bello/Getty Images for Triller

Benn will be returning to welterweight after his two fights against Eubank Jr. After losing on points to Eubank Jr. in April, Benn dominated the rematch to win a decision and then talked about fighting for the world welterweight title next.

But Benn then announced a split from Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn to join Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, before Prograis was announced as a surprise choice of his next opponent, rather than the likes of Ryan Garcia, Rolando Romero, Haney or Shakur Stevenson.

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Prograis, who beat Jo Jo Diaz over 10 rounds unanimously on points in his last fight in July, believes that as well as his experience and technical qualities, Benn will also have to contend with dropping back down to welterweight and expectations on him after a big-money move to Zuffa Boxing.

“Historically, you can see when people come down in weight it’s not good for them and that’s why I feel have the advantage,” Prograis told ESPN.

“People say I’m not big enough but it’s not good for your body to come down like that. Without me being better, I think that will be an issue for him.

“All the pressure is on him for sure after he signed that deal with Zuffa, where as I’m here chilling. He will have all the pressure on him, he’s got to show he’s worth that Zuffa deal, and he’s got all that stuff with Eddie going on too.

“He’s going to be thinking about all that stuff, but I don’t have to think about nothing.

“I’ve been working in Las Vegas for a while, that’s why I was eager to take the fight. I’ve been training hard for nearly three months. I was supposed to fight in March against Arnold Barboza but it got cancelled and I just stayed in the gym. I thought about the bareknuckle thing because at the time I got frustrated at not boxing, but I stayed in the gym and waited for something to come up. I was definitely surprised to get the call because I’ve fought at 140 pounds my whole career but I know I can beat Conor Benn.

“He’s an OK fighter, but he’s nothing special.”