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Chris van Heerden is feeling confident ahead of his fight with Conor Benn on Saturday, April 16 at the Manchester Arena and believes he could cause a major upset. The WBA Continental Welterweight Championship is on the line and the winner is expected to fight for a world title in late 2022 or early 2023.
Conor Benn is coming off an impressive fourth-round knockout victory against former world champion Chris Algieri. Meanwhile, van Heerden last fought two years ago against the highly touted Jaron Ennis, which ended in a no-contest due to an accidental headbutt.
Watch the fight highlights between Benn and Algieri:
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Here's what the South African said in an interview with Boxing Social:
"I want to fight the best, I want to fight the big names and Conor's that guy. I like to test myself and a win over Conor means I'm right back in the top 10, it means right back to a possible world title shot. I'm doing this to revive my career, I'm doing this because I believe in my ability and I do believe I have what it takes to cause an upset."
Chris van Heerden plans to outbox Conor Benn
During the same interview, van Heerden continued by stating his plans to outbox Benn and reiterated his belief that he can win the bout:
"My strength is boxing, I gotta execute my gameplan. But once we get in the ring, once you get hit in the mouth, the gameplan changes. I will have to do my very best to do whatever I have to do to get this W and I know I have the equipment to do it."
It remains to be seen if the South African can become the first boxer to defeat Benn. Chris van Heerden is the first southpaw that 'The Destroyer' will face in his career and one of his most experienced opponents alongside Algieri.
The Brit has shown vast improvements in the last couple of years and has beaten other established contenders such as Sebastian Formella and Samuel Vargas. A win for Benn may lead to a lucrative bout against one of the top welterweights in the world like Ennis, Vergil Ortiz Jr, Keith Thurman, Kell Brook or Danny Garcia.
Watch the full interview with van Heerden on Boxing Social:
