"It's gonna be painful" - Chris Eubank Jr. on making the 157lbs catchweight for Conor Benn bout

The fight between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. has been will go down on October 8 at the O2 Arena in London. Questions have been asked as to how Eubank, who has competed at 168lbs, will cut down to 157 pounds against Conor Benn.

Chris Eubank Jr. Spoke about the weight cut and said:

“Is it a worry? I guess you can say that it's a weight I haven't been since I was about 18… It's gonna be painful. In that sense I will be at a disadvantage because he's gonna be fully hydrated, whereas I will be drained. But there has to be give and take.”

The fight will be contested at a catchweight of 157lbs, something Eubank Jr. has never experienced as a pro.

The best wins of Eubank Jr.'s career have come at 168lbs. Most notably, a victory over former IBF World Super Middleweight Champion James DeGale and another over former WBO Super Middleweight Champion Arthur Abraham.

However, Eubank Jr. will have a size advantage over Conor Benn as the latter typically fights at 147lbs. Come fight day, Eubank Jr. would be dehydrated due to the weight cut and Conor Benn would be the smaller man inside the ring. It's anybody's guess who is going to be more disadvantaged inside the squared circle.

It does, however, bring up questions about the fighter's safety. Fighting whilst dehydrated can be extremely dangerous for anyone and can increase the risk of brain injuries. Being drained also means that a fighter will have lower pain tolerance and endurance. Former promoter of Eubank Jr. Frank Warren has also raised questions regarding the safety of the bout.

Watch Frank Warren's interview below:

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Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn came out of the blue

As both fighters have competed at different weight-classes for much of their careers, the bout didn't seem very likely at first. There was little conversation regarding a potential bout occurring, and realistically, no one expected the pair to fight.

Their fathers, however, were involved in one of the biggest rivalries in British sporting history. Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn despised each other and were involved in two massive grudge matches. Chris Eubank won the first bout via TKO. The rematch ended up going the distance and was scored as a split draw.

Watch the final round of Benn-Eubank II:

As such, there has always been some friction between the pair. Moreover, the fight between Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will mark the 29th anniversary of Benn-Eubank II.