Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn: Weight & rehydration clause details

We take a look at the intricacies of the colossal all-British showdown between long-term rivals Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn - including the pre-fight weight limit and rehydration clauses that Eubank Jr has to adhere to.

Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn - Weight

What weight will Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn take place at?

The upcoming all-British blockbuster between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will take place at 160lbs - which is a slightly higher weight than the original showdown in 2022 was scheduled for.

The two fighters had previously agreed to a 157lbs catchweight, although that drew huge controversy given the amount of weight that Eubank Jr, who was then operating at super-middleweight, would need to cut.

"The weight is at 160lbs which is Chris Eubank’s weight, it’s a much better hydration for him this time than it was last time," Matchroom promoter, Eddie Hearn said recently.

"Conor’s coming up two weight classes, Conor’s a welterweight, he’s coming up to fight a middleweight - nothing is unreasonable in the contract."

Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn - Rehydration clause

What is the rehydration clause for the Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn fight?

Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn is being contested in the middleweight division, where both fighters must come in no higher than 160lbs, but arguably more importantly, a 10lbs rehydration clause has been included within the fight agreement for the naturally bigger man, Eubank Jr.

This means the former IBO world champion will undertake secondary weigh-in on fight night, where he will have to tip the scales at a maximum weight of 170lbs - any higher and he could land a huge fine or even see the bout even cancelled for a second time.

"The hydration is well within governing body... it’s a much better rehydration clause for him this time than it was last time," Benn's promoted Eddie Hearn said in the build-up to the fight.

Of course, prior to the originally planned affair a couple of years ago, plenty was made of the weight restrictions imposed upon Eubank Jr.

At the time, the Brighton & Hove star was operating at super-middleweight (167lbs), whilst Benn was fighting at a significantly lower weight class, in the 147lbs welterweight division, meaning there was a colossal 20lbs weight difference between the typical fighting weights of each man.

The two had agreed to a catchweight bout at 157lbs, with a rehydration clause in place stipulating that Eubank Jr wouldn't be able to add more than 5lbs to his body weight come fight night - something that drew huge controversy. given the potential health implications for him.

A second weigh-in was scheduled to take place a few hours before the bout, although, as a consequence of the fight being cancelled, it was never proven as to whether the fighter would have adhered to the clause.

Had he not have hit the catchweight, or the rehydration limit, then Eubank Jr would have likely been fined a specific amount of money for each pound of weight he was over by; as was the case for Kell Brook, who would have had to forfeit around £100,000 for every pound he came in over the specified weight limit for his showdown with Amir Khan in 2022. 

How much weight do fighters usually gain between the weigh-in and the fight?

Boxers typically gain a significant amount of weight following their weigh-in, with gains largely ranging from between eight and 28lbs!

It's not unheard of for a fighter to add even more weight to their body than this!

This rapid weight gain occurs between the weigh-in, which is usually 24 hours before the fight, and the fight itself - with a large proportion of the additional weight being gained from a high intake of water, with fighters restricting the amount of liquid they take in from 48 hours before their weigh-in, to ensure they make the agreed weight limit.

It's also relatively common for fighters to take in over 15,000 calories in the 24 hour period between tipping the scales and entering the ring on fight night.