Conor Benn has seen the Conor McGregor rumor, and he likes it.
After the Instagram account boxing.media claimed Benn’s next fight could reportedly come against McGregor, Benn reposted it to his own Instagram story with a five-word caption: “Any day of the week.” ESPN reported Tuesday that Benn is calling out McGregor and targeting a return in early 2027. talkSPORT described it as Benn opening the door to a crossover fight while teasing his comeback.
To be clear about where this started, the original claim came from a social media account with no named source attached. That’s a rumor. What’s real is the response, and Benn didn’t hedge.
Where Benn stands
The 30-year-old is coming off a loss to Ryan Garcia. Bloody Elbow reported that his promotion, Zuffa Boxing, needs time to rebuild him. The problem with a slow rebuild is the paycheck. Benn is being paid enough that Zuffa will still want big matchups for him, per Bloody Elbow, and a few tune-ups against nobodies don’t cover that kind of money.
Benn has called out UFC fighters before, daring them into a boxing ring. Being signed with Zuffa makes a McGregor conversation easier to start. Finishing it is harder, because Dana White has made it clear he has no interest in promoting crossover MMA versus boxing fights. That’s the boss of the company Benn works for saying no in advance.
Where McGregor stands
McGregor has one fight left on his UFC contract. Bloody Elbow reported he’s expected to wrap his MMA career next year, after which he’s free to shop around. The early read is that he’s headed to BKFC, where he’s a part-owner. BKFC boss Dave Feldman told Bloody Elbow he thinks McGregor could make his debut there in “15 months or so.” Count forward from late October 2026 and Feldman’s estimate lands around early 2028.
Boxing would almost certainly pay McGregor a bigger purse than bare knuckle. But fighting in a promotion he partly owns, and dragging a massive audience into it, has its own math. Benn also isn’t the only boxer in the conversation. Floyd Mayweather believes a rematch with McGregor is possible.
The take
I love a fighter who answers a callout rumor straight instead of punting it to his management, and “Any day of the week” is about as straight as it gets. But look at the calendar. Benn wants back in early 2027. McGregor still owes the UFC a fight, and his own business partner has him penciled into BKFC roughly a year after that. Add a promoter who has already said no to crossovers, and this looks like an Instagram story more than a fight. Whoever Zuffa actually books for Benn’s early 2027 return is the news worth watching. McGregor won’t be standing across from him.
