LONDON (AP) — Conor Benn announced he has been made the No. 1 challenger for the WBC welterweight world title held by Mario Barrios.

The 29-year-old London native moved up three spots in the rankings, including above Manny Pacquiao.

Barrios is expected to fight Ryan Garcia in February. The challenger recently announced that the title bout was signed.

“Just got the news I’ve been made No. 1 in the WBC rankings, mandatory for the WBC world title,” Benn said Tuesday in a social media post.

“I’ll be watching Barrios vs. Garcia closely,” he added. “I want the winner early next year. I’ll be coming for that belt and Britain will have a new world champion.”

Barrios retained his belt with a majority draw against the 46-year-old Pacquiao in July.

Benn is coming off a 12-round unanimous decisi

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