British welterweight/super welterweight contender Conor Benn appears to no longer be facing any barriers in the United Kingdom after UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) revealed it would not appeal the NADP’s latest decision to clear Benn. The deadline for UKAD to appeal the decision expired on November 27, and with the anti-doping organization’s wishes to no longer challenge the NADP, Benn might now be finally clear to fight without being met with further suspensions.
Thus far, Conor Benn (23-0, 14 KO’s) has been provisionally suspended on two separate occasions in 2023 and 2024 by UKAD, but the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) has interfered twice to clear Benn of any wrongdoing―with their latest decision last month resulting in the fighter’s provisional suspension being lifted for the second time.
In a public statement on Thursday, November 28, UKAD revealed their decision not to launch an appeal―having been granted the right to do so from November 6 to November 27―without clarifying why:
“UKAD has completed its review of the decision of the independent National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) dated 6 November 2024 concerning professional boxer Mr Conor Benn,” UKAD’s statement reads. “Following the expiry of UKAD’s appeal deadline yesterday, we can confirm that UKAD has decided not to file an appeal with the National Anti-Doping Panel.
“As with all anti-doping cases and in accordance with the UK Anti-Doping Rules, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has a separate right of appeal and an extended deadline to file any appeal.”
According to UKAD, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) still bears the right to appeal the decision, but no indication was given whether WADA is remotely interested in challenging the NADP’s decision.
The decision by the anti-doping organization to forfeit any appeal grants Conor Benn some much-needed leeway into continuing his career without worrying about a potential charges following two failed drug tests where he tested positive for the banned substance of Clomiphene.
Since Conor Benn first tested positive in October of 2022, the welterweight contender has had an ongoing battle in the court of public opinion and against the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) alongside UKAD whose collaboration managed to see Benn provisionally suspended twice.
However, following the NADP’s latest decision to clear him, it appears both the BBBofC and UKAD are unwilling to pursue him for alleged doping offenses―especially as the former indicated they would only help appeal depending on how UKAD would proceed.
Notably, while October of 2024 would have characterized the completion of a two-year ban―if UKAD had banned him, Conor Benn notoriously evaded punishment through the NADP’s appeals and by continuing his boxing career outside of the UK after his professional boxing license with the BBBofC expired and was subsequently not renewed.
Benn has since then managed to acquire a boxing license with Texas’ boxing commission which has culminated in him fighting twice in the United States in 2023.
Conor Benn, the son of British boxing legend Nigel Benn, has thus far been more recognized for his controversies rather than his actual ability in the ring, having yet to challenge for a world title. The 28-year old British fighter is currently ranked the highest with the WBC where he is regarded as the #2 welterweight (147 lbs) in the world according to their rankings―despite his last two fights having been held at super welterweight (154 lbs).
