PADDY Fitzpatrick says he would like to pursue Conor Benn for a future bout with Swindon’s Ryan Martin.

Welterweight Martin, who has a record of 10 wins, four via knockout and two defeats has recorded back-to-back wins this year.

Now his trainer, Fitzpatrick, is looking to move his man along with some bigger contests, starting with Benn, who is the son of British boxing legend Nigel Benn.

Fitzpatrick revealed that Benn’s team had been in touch regarding a possible fight last year, but now the Swindon trainer says Martin is in a better place to take on the 21-year-old.

“Conor is a good fighter and he has proved himself. Every time he’s needed to step up he has stepped up,” he said.

“It would be a good fight for both between two good men. It’s a fight he could get excited about and he wants to be excited about his fights.

“We would definitely relish that fight now, Conor proved he has all the character needed in his previous fights

“That is the type of fights we want Ryan in now, when you look at the top welterweights in Britain Ryan deserves to be against these men.”

Fitzpatrick has never doubted the ability of Martin, despite him going through a phase last year where he lost twice in quick succession.

The Swindon trainer believes Martin has matured mentally and is now ready to reap the rewards of his hard work.

“Ryan is exactly where he needs to be now, mentally and physically he is in a very good place,” he added.

“I’ve never had any doubt that his skillset is world class and that everything that goes with a skillset including power and hand speed.

“I think his mentality has caught up with him a little bit. One week after he lost to Craig Morris (last December) we got a phone call asking if he’d be interested in Conor Benn.

“I said to him then it was seven days off a loss and they wanted him to fight again in 10 days’ time, so we said we would be up for that fight, but we just needed more time.

“It’s a fight that they called us for, they wanted him when he was 8-2 and now he is 10-2 so you never know, the boxing gods might make it happen.”