Amir Khan has warned Conor Benn to be wary of Samuel Vargas’ "dangerous" power when he takes on the Canadian-Colombian for the WBA Continental title on Saturday in Wembley.
The 34-year-old went toe-to-toe with Vargas in 2018 and was knocked down before getting back to his feet to earn a hard-fought points victory, so knows all too well what Benn is coming up against.
‘The Destroyer’ is heading into this one unbeaten, though Vargas has previously taken on the likes of Errol Spence and Danny Garica. Khan believes Benn will have to fight at the peak of his powers to maintain his imperious record.
Khan told Sky Sports, "He (Vargas) can get in there and have a little tear up. He can throw a good shot as well. He's got decent power. I think it's a massive step-up for Conor Benn. I think Conor will have his hands full in that fight.
"Since obviously after he fought me, he has been in one or two difficult fights, Samuel Vargas, and he's been beat after I beat him. But I still think he's a dangerous operator. You have to stay focused throughout the whole fight, because this is boxing, one punch can change a fight. Samuel has that power, has decent skills, which can cause any fighter problems."
Benn is targeting a huge domestic fight in Khan or Kell Brook should he be victorious and said last week, “I’m not overlooking Vargas, but what doors open after him? I want a big domestic fight still. Someone that I can take that experience off. The Amir Khans, the Kell Brooks. The Josh Kelly fight is still there if he’s still fighting. The Amir Khan fight would be one hell of a fight. That would be a great British clash. Amir Khan was a fighter I looked up to and so was Kell Brook. Why not put me in with one of them after Vargas?”
Khan has backed Benn for future success and said, “He's a great fighter. I've seen him fight a few times. If he sticks to his game, he can be a World Champion just like his father (Nigel). His father was a great champion, and to have him as a mentor is a big thing as well. I think he will go far.
"As long as you believe in yourself, you work hard, you train hard. You always wake up every morning, knowing that one day, where your end goal is. Chase your dreams, chase your goals."
Benn’s fight with Vargas will be live on Sky Sports and DAZN on Saturday night.
