Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn have both talked up the historical importance of their grudge match in London on October 8.

The pair, who were separated by two divisions in their last fight, have agreed to square off at a catchweight of 157lbs at the O2 Arena.

Benn is making the step up from welterweight, adding 10lbs to his usual fighting weight, whereas Eubank has agreed to drop down to the lowest weight class of his career, stepping down from middleweight.

Their respective backgrounds have led to the showdown being made with fathers Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn involved in one of the greatest rivalries that British boxing has ever seen.

Eubank won Benn's WBO middleweight title in November 1990, recording a ninth-round stoppage after a dramatic fight, before the second instalment at Old Trafford ended in a split draw with each fighter retaining their super-middleweight belts.

Their sons will now meet almost 32 years on from the first encounter, and Eubank has acknowledged that a chance to be a part of history led to him accepting the fight.

Speaking at a press conference, the 32-year-old said: "This is a fight like no other in the history of the sport. Two legends who went into a ring 30 years ago inspired a nation, became superstars, etched their names into not just boxing history but British history.

"Seventeen million people watching these guys fight twice and now 30 years later, their sons who have both made their name in the sport of boxing are going to get into the ring and the Eubank-Benn name is going to go to war for a third time.

"Something like this has never happened before and I don't think it will happen again, ever. That is why I took this fight. That is the main reason why I wanted to be a part of this. I wanted to be involved in something which has never happened before and won't be replicated. It's very exciting."

Benn, who could have taken an eliminator for a world title bout at welterweight, feels like he had little choice but to take what he describes as "a once-in-a-lifetime' clash.

The 25-year-old added: "This is a fight which makes sense for now. The world title is still the goal, but this is once in a lifetime. It is a fantasy fight for the British public.

"You forget about how far apart we were when I first turned pro. The name was still mentioned to me. Eubank was still mentioned to me before I had my debut fight. So it has been brewing."

Eubank has won 32 of his 34 bouts as a professional, while Benn is unbeaten in 21 outings in the paid ranks. body check tags ::