Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr WILL meet at press conference with fight going ahead

Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr will come together at today’s press conference with both parties still planning to fight this weekend. 

Sources have told Sportsmail that, despite the British Boxing Board of Control prohibiting the bout from taking place, the fight is still very much on at this stage. 

Sportsmail broke the news on Wednesday morning that Benn had failed a VADA drugs test, testing positive for banned substance clomifene, designed primarily to aid women in fertility, but also known to provide steroid boosts for muscle development and rapid recovery from training among other benefits.

Conor Benn (right) and Chris Eubank Jr (left) will on Thursday with their press conference still going ahead

Promoters Eddie Hearn and Kalle Sauerland are yet to formally cancel the fight, however, with the former insisting the matter is being discussed among lawyers for both parties. 

Both Benn and Eubank Jr – who appeared at Wednesday’s public workout following the bombshell revelation – are still keen for the fight to take place.   

And they will be in the public eye once more on Thursday afternoon, with their press conference – set to take place at 1pm – still going ahead as planned. 

The decision to continue with the fight, at this stage, has been met by mass scrutiny, particularly as Sportsmail understands a notification was made to all parties regarding the adverse finding as far back as September 23. 

Crucially, while Benn has protested his innocence, Hearn has insisted that, at this stage, ‘there’s no reason, in terms of suspension, or violations, the fight should not take place’. 

That’s because, while Benn has failed a VADA test – and only the A sample thus far – the British Boxing Board of Control is governed by the UK Anti-Doping Agency, who are typically contracted by the boxers and promoters for a five-figure fee prior to a fight.

The 26-year-old, according to Hearn, has passed all doping control tests by UKAD – including one taken after the adverse finding. 

More to follow…