The M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool is set to host undefeated British welterweight Conor Benn’s 20th professional fight on Saturday when he takes on 37-year-old American Chris Algieri in a headline showdown.
Essex-born Benn has continued to grow towards his ultimate boxing potential in what has been a successful 2021.
He earned a technical knock-out win over Sam Vargas in April before claiming a unanimous points-decision victory over Adrian Granados in September.
The 25-year-old has thundered home 12 knock-outs in his career so far so comes up against New Yorker Algieri, who attains a 25-3 record, in good form.
Algieri won the WBO International junior welterweight title twice in 2014 and 2019.
He suffered his first career loss in 21 fights when he lost on points to Manny Pacquiao in their WBO welterweight title contest in November 2014.
He next returned to the ring in his home city when he was beaten by Amir Khan in their WBC silver welterweight title bout in May 2015.
Meanwhile, undisputed women’s lightweight champion Katie Taylor faces Firuza Sharipova on the undercard as she defends her WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO titles.
The 35-year-old Irish sensation has also won all 19 professional bouts, having swept aside Nathasha Jones in May and Jennifer Ham in September.
What time does Benn vs Algieri start?
Benn and Algieri are expected to step into the ring at the M&S Bank Arena at around 10pm with the undercard beginning from 7pm.
What has the pre-fight talk been?
Benn is full of confidence going into the fight, stating his US opponent - who is 12 years his senior - is a good benchmark to prove is at “world level.”
“It’s going to be a Christmas special,” he said, as per British Boxing News.
“He’s a former World Champion. We’re testing the waters in my career. We need these fights to test the waters and see where I’m at.
“I believe I’m world level, and I should beat people like Chris Algieri with ease. I’m very confident in my ability and everything we have been working on.”
Algieri has described himself as a “young 37-year-old” and believes a lot of the fanfare around Benn has been somewhat manufactured.
He told ESPN: "There's been a lot of hype and build up in his (Benn's) career, (which) has been curated carefully.
“This is a huge step up for him. I've not seen a lot of resistance from those other guys he has fought, so it's hard to get a true assessment of him."
How can I watch the fight?
DAZN has exclusive rights to broadcast the evening in the UK.
Subscribers to the platform can access its live stream from the DAZN app on mobile and tablet devices.
A subscription for access to all features and events on the streaming service costs £7.99 a month.
Who is on the undercard?
The undercard is subject to change, with four fighters not yet assigned opponents.
The up-to-date list is as follows…
Conor Benn vs Chris Algieri
Katie Taylor vs Firuza Sharipova (WBC, WBA, IBF & WBO women’s lightweight title fight)
Karim Guerfi vs Jordan Gill (EBU European featherweight title fight)
Robbie Davies Jr vs Henry Lundy (Vacant WBA continental super-lightweight title fight)
Caoimhin Agyarko vs Noe Larios Jr (Vacant WBA international middleweight title fight)
Calum French vs TBA
Peter McGrail vs TBA
Joe McGrail vs TBA
Paddy Lacey vs TBA
