Samuel Vargas: I have to break Conor Benn down and take his soul

Samuel Vargas isn’t new to the sort of role he’ll be in on Saturday against Conor Benn, taking on a top prospect with high hopes.

He faced Errol Spence Jr in 2015 and Vergil Ortiz in 2020, and otherwise, Vargas (31-6-2, 14 KO) has been in the ring with some really good fighters over the years. He is being brought in as a test for the 24-year-old Benn (17-0, 11 KO), who seems to win over a few skeptics basically every time out.

But while Benn has certainly improved his craft in the ring, the Colombian feels Benn still makes the sort of mistakes he can capitalize on.

“He is a strong young fighter. He’s going to come on strong. He looks physically fit all of the time. He seems very wild and makes mistakes that he has to pay for. We’ll meet in the center of the ring and we’ll find out what he’s about. I’m expecting him to come to war and that’s what I’m prepared for.”

How to Watch Benn vs Vargas

Date: Saturday, April 10 | Start Time: 2:00 pm ET
Location: Copper Box - London, England
TV: Sky Sports (UK) | Streaming: DAZN
Online Coverage: BadLeftHook.com

The 31-year-old Vargas says he’s going to take the younger man “into the trenches” and look to “give him a right hand from hell.”

“We’ve got to break him down and take his soul. We’re going to break him down little by little,” he said. “He doesn’t have the experience to handle that. He’s got to have the same energy that he has in the first round in the ninth and 10th. We’ll see about that.”