Conor Benn Backs Lomachenko Over Gervonta Davis — But the Fight Might Not Happen

Vasiliy Lomachenko is coming back, and Conor Benn has already picked a side. Asked how a fight between the 38-year-old Ukrainian and Gervonta Davis would look right now, Benn told Daily Mail Sport he'd lean toward the veteran — a notable call given Davis sits at 30-0-1 with 28 knockouts and hasn't tasted defeat as a pro.

The catch: Loma has been retired since May 2025, walking away with an 18-3 ledger just twelve months after brutally taking the lightweight belts off George Kambosos. He confirmed his return last month. But the fight everyone wants — Loma vs Tank — may not be the one we get.

Why Benn Favours the Veteran

Benn's reasoning leans on Davis's recent form rather than Lomachenko's résumé. Tank hasn't won since June 2024, and his last outing — a majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025 — suggested something was off. Benn pointed to Davis's external issues as a factor that appeared to drag on that performance. On paper it's a stunning result: an undefeated three-weight champion held level by a fighter well below his star wattage.

Lomachenko, for his part, still carries the aura of one of the sport's genuine technicians. He matched the men's record by winning a world title in only his third professional bout and went on to become a three-division champion. His stumbles came against the elite of the lightweight class — Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney, the latter now WBO welterweight champ at 33-0. Loma was never blown out. He was outpointed by younger, bigger men.

The Fight We'll Probably Actually Get

Here's the deflating bit for anyone circling Loma-Tank on the calendar. Lomachenko looks set to return at super-featherweight — the 130lb division long considered his natural home — rather than chase Davis. The target there is Emanuel Navarrete, the unified WBO and WBA titleholder at 40-2-1 with 33 knockouts, most recently stopping Eduardo Núñez in the 11th.

That's a live, meaningful fight in its own right, and arguably a smarter one for a 38-year-old returning from retirement. Davis, meanwhile, needs to sort out whatever cost him against Roach before the demand for a Lomachenko showdown fades entirely. Benn can talk up the matchup all he likes — but the two men might be walking in opposite directions.