BoxRec

Ryan Garcia does seems to be motivated, and? For me this is a very important factor in this fight'.

Note: Garcia is the more talented fighter by far, but I think if Conor Benn has a chance to win this fight 'then he will win the fight during training camp, because sometimes fights can be won or lost in training camp especially in the lower weight classes'.

Conor Benn is in my opinion competing above his ability level here 'but he is a very disciplined fighter, and has great work ethic'.

All the pressure is on Ryan Garcia 'Benn in my opinion, only has the pressure he is putting on himself. To even land this fight he has done very well in his career' etc.

Although promoters Sampson Lewkowicz & Don King made a deal for David Benavidez-Noel Mikaelian 3-belt cruiserweight unification fight for November, Mikaelian, I am told, did not agree, has (or will) sign with Zuffa (probable Opetaia opponent), & King likely will sue. Typical #boxing.

ANNOUNCED: Jai Opetaia will defend his Ring and Zuffa cruiserweight world titles against Noel Mikaelian in the co-main event of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn.

#GarciaBenn l Sept 12th in Las Vegas

They can get away with it on the card, put it 3rd.

Ryan Garcia warned that 'consistent' Conor Benn could cause an upset on September 12

Conor Benn is an early 3-to-1 underdog to upset Ryan Garcia when they meet for the latter’s WBC welterweight title in Las Vegas on September 12.

Garcia, currently 1-to-4 on to win, is being warned to take the challenge from the Englishman seriously, however.

The champion, 25-2 (20 KOs), put a difficult period of his life behind him in February when he outpointed Mario Barrios to win the title. Yet there are signs, six weeks out from battle, that Garcia might not be as focused as he should be.

There's tit-for-tat with the retired Terence Crawford, there’s the posting of betting slips for large amounts of money, and the typical fascination with social media. Benn, meanwhile, appears to be locked in on the task at hand as the Englishman, more than four years after he last made 147lbs, cuts a typically determined figure.

Teddy Atlas, who has worked with fighters like Mike Tyson, Shannon Briggs, Timothy Bradley, and Michael Moorer in the past, is concerned that Garcia’s habit of not keeping his emotions in check could work in the 25-1 (14 KOs) Benn’s favor.

“Garcia has always been influenced, maybe more than most fighters, on a mental and emotional basis,” Atlas told CanadaCasino. “He is very talented, but unless he is right mentally and emotionally, that talent doesn’t really equate into anything special.

“It doesn’t get used in a way where it shows itself to mean something. Garcia is probably in a better place now mentally than he had been for a while, but does he stay in that place? That’s the big question with Garcia. He is very mercurial when it comes to his emotions. They move all over the place. As a trainer and as someone who has been in the sport my whole life, that would be my concern.

“At the end of the day, I usually go towards consistency. Garcia fights in spurts. They can be great spurts, don’t get me wrong, but they are spurts. Benn is not as flashy or spectacular in those spurts, but he is more consistent throughout the night with his offence.

“In the mental area, Benn probably gets a little bit of an edge. He seems, good or bad, to be more consistent with his offensive output than Garcia. It’s a tough one to pick, but because of what I just broke down, I might possibly be on the side of Benn.”

Promotional tug of war as Jai Opetaia and David Benavidez jostle over Noel Mikaelian

The future of Noel Mikaelian’s reign as WBC cruiserweight champion became tenuous Tuesday with Zuffa Boxing announcing he will fight its champion, Jai Opetaia of Australia, September 12 in Las Vegas.

The Zuffa announcement came minutes after the sole promoters for WBO/WBA cruiserweight champion David Benavidez and Mikaelian told Boxing Scene they have signed a contract for a December 12 unification between Benavidez and Mikaelian in Glendale, Arizona.

Delivering his patented laugh, Mikaelian's promoter Don King told Boxing Scene, “Well, [Mikaelian] has a signed contract with me. I love Noel, and I hope he does the right thing.”

King said Mikaelian sought a specific financial figure to fight Benavidez, and the promoter delivered.

“He [Mikaelian] wanted $1 million, and I got him $1 million,” King said of Mikaelian, 28-3 (12 KOs), who captured the belt in December by defeating Badou Jack by decision.

Sampson Lewkowicz, the CEO of Sampson Boxing, which promotes Phoenix’s three-division champion Benavidez, 32-0 (26 KOs), said his fighter was to sign the fight agreement for Mikaelian in short order.

As for Mikaelian, while King says the fighter is bound to honor the promoter’s negotiations, Lewkowicz said before the Zuffa announcement that there were persistent industry rumors Mikaelian was returning to negotiate for an Opetaia bout after first doing so in the spring, when officials told BS a deal was in the final stages.

Opetaia will fight on the September 12 card headlined by new WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia versus England’s No. 1 contender Conor Benn at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I’m not too worried about that,” King said about the prospect of Mikaelian potentially avoiding Benavidez before the Zuffa fight announcement. “We’re trying to bring the electricity back to boxing with this unification.

“He might be considering something from people with good intentions, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Lewkowicz and King both said if Mikaelian moves away from the Benavidez fight, the grounds for a lawsuit exist because of Mikaelian’s signed ties to King.

The 35-year-old Armenian said in a prepared statement from Zuffa: “When I step into the ring on September 12 against Jai Opetaia in Las Vegas, I intend to defend my [WBC] world championship. This is the fight I’ve wanted since becoming a two-time world champion, and I’m ready to deliver. I haven’t fought since December 2025 because of circumstances outside of my control. I refused to stay inactive. Champions are meant to defend their titles, and that’s exactly what I’m prepared to do.”

His manager, Anthony Girges, said in a prepared statement: “My job has always been to put Noel in the best position to succeed. More than 60 days after Noel vs. David Benavidez was ordered, we still haven’t received a bona fide offer. Noel wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines any longer. This isn’t just about two champions in Noel and Opetaia. It’s about protecting the integrity of the sport and making the fights the fans deserve.”

Benavidez also stands as the WBC light-heavyweight champion, and that position afforded him the opportunity to petition for a WBC cruiserweight title shot, which WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman granted in May.

If Mikaelian opts to fight Opetaia, the expectation is he will be stripped of the WBC belt and Benavidez would have the chance to fight the next fighter in line, Poland’s Michal Cieslak, for a third 200lbs belt.

Conor Benn plots weight change after Ryan Garcia fight as he opens up on future after ‘brutal’ cut

Conor Benn isn't planning on hanging around at 147lbs after he faces Ryan Garcia.

Benn will make the step back down to welterweight to challenge US superstar Garcia in a blockbuster clash for the WBC title on September 12.

'The Destroyer' is keen to mirror the success of his father by holding the famous green and gold title, and has stepped back down in weight to do so.

Benn had two outings against Chris Eubank Jr, and saw him step up to 160lbs for their rematch which he won last year.

In his most recent outing, he fought and beat Regis Prograis at a catchweight of 150lbs in April.

Many then questioned if the Essex native could return to his original 147lbs limit, but he is signed to face Garcia.

Although the British star has now made it clear that he doesn't see his future beyond this outing at welterweight.

“Yeah, it’s hard. It’s brutal," he told Ring Magazine when discussing making weight for the showdown next month.

"This is my last fight at 147. When I win the world title, I’ll move on.

"But for me, I haven’t made 147 for four years. So, it’s challenging.

"Iit’s really hard. You think I went up to 183 [fight night weight] for the Eubank fights, you know, so it’s hard, but we’re getting it done.”

Benn's future is clearly at either 154lbs or 160lbs, where he will likely also look to challenge for silverware.

It could see him in some big fights moving forward including against US superstar Jaron Ennis, who holds multiple titles at super-welterweight.

Benn: I'll stop Garcia

A statement victory over Garcia would propel Benn's profile even further into the stratosphere as a household name.

Benn already has a wealth of experience under scrutiny and big stages after his two-fight rivalry with Eubank Jr.

There has already been a tense build-up between himself and 'King Ry' with the pair vowing to get the job done.

And Benn believes his hard work is setting up the scenario perfectly.

He added: "I don’t care what he’s doing. Like it makes no difference. It doesn’t concern me at all.

"All I know is I’m working extremely hard to come out victorious.

"No doubt I’ll be looking for the stoppage myself. I think I’ll stop him. Yeah, I do.”

‘He’s got the belt I want’: Conor Benn talks motivation for Ryan Garcia fight

Conor Benn talks the difference in fighting for family pride vs personal accomplishment.

Conor Benn sits down to talk about his upcoming WBC world title shot against Ryan Garcia, how it compares to all the drama of the Eubank saga, and more in this interview with Ring Magazine. Check out some excerpts of what he had to say with the full video below!

Benn on this training camp compared to his last
“Very different from the Eubank fight. I think going up to 160 was a fight in itself, was an unknown, was something different, was something new. And it was also a family feud, there as hatred, there was spite, and I pray people don’t have to go to that place that I had to go to in that camp and in the actual fight itself.

“I went to the well and back, and no doubt that fight took part of my soul. But it just proves that I can go there with a bigger man. So, for me, it just fills me with confidence for the fight I’m about to go into. I think the Eubank fights were intense, brutal, there was a lot history. There was a lot of spite, a lot of hatred in the fight, whereas this doesn’t have the spite behind it. But the guy’s got the belt I want and claim that number one spot. The drive is very different.”

On having a slight beef with Garcia in the public
“Listen, he’s got the belt I want. He’s in the way. So for me, that’s what this is. And he wants to say he wants to take it lightly, and the disrespect, and for me it’s just about going in there and doing what I do, which is putting on a clinical performance.”

On how he thinks the feeling of beating Eubank will compare to winning a title
“Beating Eubank, there will always be something special about that. There will always be something special about the first fight. I preferred the first fight over the second, it was a fight of the year and only Eubank could’ve taken me there…In terms of theatrics and drama and chaos, it was a movie.

“Winning the world title, for myself is very personal whereas the Eubank fights were for the family name, for family pride, it was for DNA, for bragging rights. This right here is for myself, something I always wanted to achieve, something I always wanted to win is that world title win and not just be a #1 contender or world level, but being world champion.”

On whether he thinks Garcia is a quitter based on his losses to Tank and Rolly
“Did he quit? As a fighter I can say he did. With Rolly, did he go in his shell once he got clipped? He did. And our DNA’s just different, our makeup is completely different. I’m going to go out swinging and I’m going to go out on my shield, always.”

Tony Bellew Predicts Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn: “He’s An Overwhelming Favourite”

Conor Benn‘s world title shot against Ryan Garcia is fast approaching, and Tony Bellew is the latest to weigh in with his opinion.

When Benn steps into the ring on September 12, he will be facing the toughest opponent of his career so far. The Brit will also be back down at the welterweight limit of 147lbs for the first time since 2022, having moved up to a catchweight of 160lbs to twice fight Chris Eubank Jr in 2025.

The first fight ended in a points loss, while the second brought a revenge victory for Benn, who then went on to fight Regis Prograis earlier this year at another catchweight of 150lbs. Although he won on points, he failed to impose himself physically and was unable to stop the American.

The worry is that he will lack the power to keep Garcia at bay, and the American is a sharp-punching, quick-handed boxer who has shared the ring with the likes of Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney and Mario Barrios, who he beat for the WBC title earlier this year.

Speaking to Fight Your Corner, Bellew laid out what he thinks will be the biggest problem for Benn.

“With Garcia, it’s the left-hook that is the real power shot with him. My only issue with this fight is that you don’t know which Ryan Garcia is going to turn up. If the Ryan that got in with Rolly Romero turns up, that is going to lose, that is not going to be enough.

“I rate Rolly, as well, Rolly is a good fighter but is Ryan interested? Is he bothered? Mentally, I think that Ryan is all over the place and mentally, I think that Conor Benn is so strong.

“To get through what he went through for all them years, mentally, he is so, so strong. Garcia is the favourite and he is the overwhelming favourite because of the qualities and the fundamentals that he has; lightning speed and a vicious left-hook.”

Benn confirms Garcia title fight will be last at 147

Conor Benn has confirmed his September 12 challenge for Ryan Garcia’s WBC welterweight title will be his last fight at 147 pounds.

It will be the first time the Englishman has made the welterweight limit since he stopped Chris van Heerden inside two rounds in April 2022.

Since then, Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) spent more than a year out of the ring due to a pair of failed VADA tests five months later before moving up to middleweight for his high-profile fights with Chris Eubank Jr. in 2025.

He made his first steps back towards the welterweight division when he faced Regis Prograis in a 150-pound catchweight fight on April 11 but is now deep into a murderous cut to 147 pounds.

During an interview with The Ring at his home in Essex on Wednesday, Benn confirmed that he has no plans to campaign as a welterweight and will move up in weight once he fights Garcia.

On the cut down, he said: “It’s hard, it’s brutal. This is my last fight at 147 and when I win the world title I’ll move on.
“For me, I haven't made 147 for four years so it’s challenging, don’t get me wrong, it’s really hard.

“Just think, I went up to 183 pounds for the Eubank fights. So it’s hard getting it done.”

Before Benn’s two fights against Eubank, he registered a pair of wins as a junior middleweight, weighing 153.5 pounds in his victory against Rodolfo Orozco in September 2023 and 150.5 pounds against Peter Dobson five months later.

And, when asked where he expects to land once he has faced Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs), the 29-year-old insisted he will have options in three different divisions.

He said: “After this fight I can do 154, 160 or 168.”

It makes sense for Conor Benn to move up to 154 pounds '160, I think his fight against a dead at the weight Chris Eubank Junior has given him a distorted perception of his ability at that weight'.

Note: Chris Eubank Junior operating at less than 50% beat him in the first fight 'and during their rematch, Benn was unable to legitimately knock out a fighter who was severely weight drained and right there for the taking'.

Ryan Garcia should beat Conor Benn 'he has more proven power, and he is skill for skill the better boxer. It will be an achievement if Benn could survive the full 12 rounds' etc.

Conor Benn vows to wreak havoc against Ryan Garcia to capture WBC welterweight title

Conor Benn has vowed to stop Ryan Garcia and "cause havoc" when they meet for the WBC welterweight title in Las Vegas on September 12; Benn says Garcia's mind games are "just noise" as he targets the belt once held by his father Nigel

Conor Benn has vowed to wreak havoc and stop Ryan Garcia in his quest to become world champion.

Benn will contest his first-career world title fight against WBC welterweight champion Garcia on September 12 in Las Vegas.

Garcia, one of the most high-profile fighters in the sport, has engaged in a war of words with Benn, but the Brit is focused on emphatically silencing the American once and for all.

"It's all just noise," Benn told Sky Sports. "It doesn't really concern me, doesn't bother me. I'm just coming there to take his title off him.

"I plan on going in there and getting a stoppage, for sure. I'm just going to go in there and do what I do, which is plant one on his chin and try and put him to sleep.

"I prepare diligently hard and always put the work in. I've taken it with both hands and I'm coming in there to cause havoc."

Benn enters the fight off the back of beating Regis Prograis on the undercard of Tyson Fury's comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April.

It was at the same venue, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which staged Benn's epic two-fight rivalry with Chris Eubank Jr.

Having avenged his first professional defeat at the hands of Eubank Jr in their November 2025 rematch, Benn has set his sights on emulating his father Nigel by winning the WBC belt he held and defended in 11 fights between 1992 and 1995.

"For me to get a world title shot, the prestigious WBC world title, the belt my dad won, it's a blessing," he added.

"That's not my driving factor. My driving factor is to do it for myself. It's for me to prove that I'm one of the best in the world."

Garcia represents a marked step up in the quality of opposition Benn has faced previously, but he is relishing his underdog status.

"I like being the underdog," he said. "I think I perform at my best.

"I think every single one of my fights has led me to this moment. All the pressure I've had early on in my career has prepared me for nights like those at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"It's prepared me for the noise and the drama and the chaos. So come September 12, it's nothing new, nothing different."

Frank~ Warren picks a winner in Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia world title fight

Next month, Conor Benn will return to the welterweight division in an immediate challenge for Ryan Garcia’s WBC world title in one of the highest profile bouts of 2026. Now, Frank~Warren has offered his thoughts on the fight.

Back in April 2022, in his most recent welterweight outing, Benn knocked out Chris van Heerden and looked to be on the verge of a challenge for world honours, before opting to take on Chris Eubank Jr instead.

However, a failed drugs test led to the cancellation of that contest and derailed Benn’s career, which was then revived when he twice fought Eubank as a middleweight in 2025, suffering a first career defeat and then avenging it.

This year, Benn has made headlines once again as he announced plans to return to welterweight and then ditched career-long promoter, Eddie Hearn, in favour of a switch to Zuffa Boxing, where he made his first outing in a 150lb catchweight clash with Regis Prograis in April.

In September, Benn has the chance to emerge as a global superstar by bringing Garcia’s reign to an early end, but Warren told Playbook Boxing that he makes the Briton a ‘massive underdog’.

“Conor, at this moment in time, for me he is a big underdog in that fight. I am sure he will do his best and fight his best, but you have got to make Garcia a massive favourite.

“Conor has not boxed at a high level yet. He boxed Chris Eubank Jnr, 36 years old and he [Eubank] has never done it, at all, at the top.”

Regardless of the outcome of his September 12 showdown with Garcia, Benn has declared that the scrap will be his last at 147lbs, planning to campaign at either super-welterweight or middleweight in the future.

Any info on undercard, besides Opetaia - Mikaelian?

Mark Magsayo-Andres Cortes added to Zuffa Boxing's Garcia-Benn PPV undercard

A 10-round lightweight bout between former WBC featherweight world champion Mark Magsayo and unbeaten Andres “Savage” Cortes has been pegged as the broadcast opener for Zuffa Boxing’s Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn welterweight showdown on Saturday, September 12, live on Paramount+ from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Garcia-Benn will be available in the UK and Ireland on DAZN PPV.

Magsayo, 29-2 (19 KOs), and Cortes, 25-0 (13 KOs), join an undercard that also features cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia facing two-time world champion Noel Mikaelian in the 12-round co-main event.

Magsayo, who captured the WBC featherweight title in January 2022 with a majority decision over Gary Russell Jnr, has won five straight bouts since moving up to lightweight in 2023. He was last seen stopping Northern Ireland’s Feargal McCrory in five rounds at the Zuffa Boxing 05 event in April.

Incidentally, Las Vegas’ 29-year-old undefeated Cortes headlined Zuffa Boxing 05, scoring a unanimous decision over once-beaten Dominican prospect Eridson Garcia.

Magsayo-McCrory was the co-main event.

“I’ve waited for a night like this my whole career,” said Magsayo. “I signed with Zuffa to be on the biggest shows. Andres Cortes called me out, and I answered. He won’t have his ‘0’ after I get done with him.”

“This is my opportunity to show the world what I can do,” said Cortes. “I’m going to destroy Mark Magsayo on September 12. Growing up in the gyms in Las Vegas, I dreamed of fighting on a platform like this in front of my people. The time has come.”

Mark Magsayo vs Andres Cortes opens Garcia vs Benn main card

Lightweight contenders will open the show on September 12th

Zuffa Boxing revealed today that former featherweight champion Mark Magsayo and undefeated lightweight Andres Cortes, who shared a card in April, will meet in the main card opener for Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn on September 12th.

“Magnifico” Magsayo (29-2, 19 KO) has stayed largely under the radar since losing his belt, which he took from a one-armed Gary Russell Jr in 2022, in his first defense against Rey Vargas. He’s gone 5-0 in that span, bouncing between 130 and 135 while picking up wins over the likes of Eduardo Ramirez, Jorge Mata, and most recently Feargal McCrory in his Zuffa debut.

Cortes (25-0, 13 KO), himself a super featherweight bumped up by Zuffa’s weird insistence on excluding in-betweener classes, has pursued contention with a sort of Achilles-and-the-Tortoise approach. He’s fought and beaten a number of good-to-pretty-solid guys throughout his run, including Xavier Martinez in 2023, Abraham Nova a year later, and Eridson Garcia in that same April main event.

Nice little “sh*t or get off the pot” matchup that should put the winner within spitting distance of a title shot.

“I’ve waited for a night like this my whole career. I signed with Zuffa to be on the biggest shows,” Magsayo said. “Andres Cortes called me out, and I answered. He won’t have his ‘0’ after I get done with him.”

“This is my opportunity to show the world what I can do. I’m going to destroy Mark Magsayo on September 12,” Cortes said. “Growing up in the gyms in Las Vegas, I dreamed of fighting on a platform like this in front of my people. The time has come.”

21-year-old heavyweight Da’Mazion Vanhouter (12-0, 9 KO) also sees action against Raphael Akpejiori (19-3, 18 KO), whom you may recall from nigh-instantaneous knockout losses to Arslanbek Makhmudov and Stephan Shaw.

Mark Magsayo vs. Andres Cortes added to Garcia-Benn card

Mark Magsayo and Andres Cortes will square off in a 10-round lightweight bout September 12, it was announced on Wednesday.

The fight is set to open the main card of the Zuffa Boxing show headlined by WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia's first title defense against Conor Benn at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event will stream live on Paramount+ in the United States and DAZN in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Magsayo (29-2, 19 KOs) made his Zuffa Boxing debut last time out against Feargal McCrory, a fifth-round stoppage win on April 5. "Magnifico" Magsayo, a 31-year-old from the Philippines, is a former WBC featherweight titleholder. He captured the crown in 2022 with a majority decision win against Gary Allen Russell Jr. but lost his following two fights, against Rey Vargas and Brandon Figueroa. Magsayo is currently on a five-fight winning streak.

“I’ve waited for a night like this my whole career. I signed with Zuffa to be on the biggest shows,” Magsayo said in a statement. “Andres Cortes called me out, and I answered. He won’t have his ‘0’ after I get done with him.”

Cortes (25-0, 13 KOs), a 29-year-old from Las Vegas, headlined the event Magsayo was last featured in and scored a 10-round unanimous decision win against Eridson Garcia.

“This is my opportunity to show the world what I can do. I’m going to destroy Mark Magsayo on September 12,” Cortes said in a statement. “Growing up in the gyms in Las Vegas, I dreamed of fighting on a platform like this in front of my people. The time has come.”

Zuffa Boxing also announced on Wednesday that Da’Mazion Vanhouter (12-0, 9 KOs) will face Raphael Akpejiori (19-3, 18 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight bout as part of the prelim portion of the card.

The co-main event, which was announced last week, features Ring and Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) taking on WBC titleholder Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs).

I don't actually think Conor Benn has to win the fight 'to come out of the contest with big credit'.

Note: The reality is? This Conor Benn's first non-manufactured top level fight 'against a fighter who is there to win, and is not inhibited by tactical fight stipulations'.

Ryan Garcia is also the more proven and talented fighter 'with much more experience win or lose at world level'.

If Conor Benn survives the full 12-rounds 'and makes the fight competitive. I think he can fight on in his career, at the higher weights knowing that he put in a great effort' etc.

He seemed to get ‘big credit’ after losing to CEJ as well.

Hearn and co were saying he’s the people champion. wtf?

Familiar trainer Santos favors 'dynamic' Garcia to beat Benn

Few trainers got a better look at what Ryan Garcia is capable of at his best than Bob Santos.

The Ring’s 2022 “Trainer of the Year” served as Mario Barrios’ cut man when Garcia beat him by unanimous decision to become the WBC welterweight champion on February 21. Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs, 1 NC) will make his first title defense against his bitter British rival, Conor Benn, on September 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the same venue where he beat Barrios.

Santos labeled the bout a “fantastic fight,” one in which he favors Victorville, California’s Garcia to emerge victorious. Garcia-Benn will stream live on Paramount+ in the United States and on DAZN across the UK and Ireland.

“Not only is Ryan a very good puncher, he has electric hand speed, and we all know the punch you don’t see coming is the punch that can hurt you,” Santos told The Ring. “When Ryan’s on his A game, and he’s in the zone and he’s focused, he’s tough for anybody. … He has shown times where he’s very dynamic, and that’s the Ryan Garcia you have to prepare for.”

Garcia, 27, dropped Barrios inside the first 30 seconds of the first round with an overhand right. While Garcia, The Ring’s No. 5-ranked welterweight, put much more emphasis on his right hand and had immense success with it in the dominant decision victory, Santos still believes his patented left hook is the punch Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) needs to guard against the most.

“He showed that he has a pretty good right hand, but I think you can see the right hand coming a little bit more because it’s from distance,” Santos said. “You should be prepared for that. At any rate, being you’re a professional fighter and you’ve seen that pretty much your whole career. But a dynamic, lightning-quick left hook, he’s got to really be on his A game to watch out for that.”

The win was Garcia’s first since December 2023, when he scored an eighth-round stoppage of Oscar Duarte. Garcia’s majority-decision victory over Devin Haney, now the WBO welterweight champ, was overturned to a no-contest two years ago because he tested positive for ostarine, a banned substance.

Whether Benn will be at his best at 147 pounds is the million-dollar question. Benn, 29, hasn’t fought at the welterweight limit since his second-round stoppage of Chris Van Heerden in April 2022.

The Englishman last fought at a 150-pound catch weight when he beat two-time 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis by unanimous decision in a 10-round fight April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Benn hadn’t weighed less than 150 pounds in his four fights between 2023-25 and was 149.6 the day before he faced Prograis.

“If he’s the type of guy that’s very disciplined out of the ring and never allows his weight to go too high, then I think he’ll be fine,” Santos said. “But if it’s a case of where you’ve either added too much muscle or you’ve let the weight get away from you, even in and around some of the higher weight classes where you don’t stay in that 10-to-15-pound range, then it can really hurt you. It can come back to bite you, especially going down the stretch.”

I'm picking "Benn" to win by decision.
By way of work rate and effective aggression.
Should be a great action packed bout.
With that said, Benn-Romero would be a great bout, and Garcia(Even in losing to Benn), would still make for a very interesting opponent versus Teofimo Lopez.

Ryan Garcia Considers Conor Benn ‘A Dead Man Walking’

If it were up to Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, they’d be standing across from each other far earlier than September 12.

Garcia and Benn traded words during a largely cordial appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday on ESPN. Things picked up at the end of their segment, when Garcia promised Benn would “get his ass whooped,” but it was a far cry from their fiery press conference on July 18 at Fanatics Fest in New York, where security had to separate them less than five minutes after it began.

“It’s just gonna be like another day in the office,” Garcia said. “I’m just gonna beat the s*** out of this dude. I know we’re talking all light, but this dude is about to get his ass whooped. I know he’s talking a good game, the UK thing, but he’s just not good enough. He’s getting black eyes in sparring – this is sad. This guy, he’s dying out there. He’s a dead man walking. Look at him. This dude looks like he’s about to pass out right now in the sun. This ass-whooping is gonna be bad.”

“He’s like a kid,” Benn said in response to Garcia. “He said the same with [Rolando “Rolly” Romero.] He said the same with [Gervonta Davis.] He talks enough for the both of us.”

Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs, 1 NC), The Ring’s No. 6-ranked welterweight, got the final word, calling Benn “borderline a bum.”

Their 12-round fight for Garcia’s WBC welterweight title will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It will stream on Paramount+ in the United States and on DAZN across the UK and Ireland.

“You are like a very fancy trash can, bro,” Garcia said. “I’m gonna take out the trash on September 12. I’m gonna send your ass back to the UK with a good check, and hopefully your brain will still be intact. That’s all I care about.”

Garcia, 28, will make the first defense of his WBC welterweight title. The Victorville, California, native won the belt thanks to a dominant unanimous decision against Mario Barrios on February 21 at T-Mobile Arena.

He dropped Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KOs) inside the first 30 seconds of the first round before putting together the most complete performance of his career.

“I’m very sharp right now,” Garcia said. “Everything has been going perfect. We’re just carrying the momentum from last fight to this fight, and we have a responsibility as a champion to make sure that we come in the best shape and give the fans the best version of me possible. That’s exactly what we did, and we’re already ready to go. I wish the fight was literally tomorrow. I’m ready to just get this done.”

Benn, 29, will have to make 147 pounds for the first time since his second-round stoppage of Chris Van Heerden in April 2022. The Englishman weighed 149.6 pounds for his last fight, a unanimous decision over two-time 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis in a 10-round, 150-pound catch-weight bout on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

One fight prior, Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) scored the biggest win of his career when he beat Chris Eubank Jr. by unanimous decision in a 12-round middleweight rematch November 15 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Benn suffered the lone defeat of his career in the first bout against Eubank (35-4, 25 KOs), a unanimous-decision defeat in April 2025. Their first meeting won The Ring’s “Fight of the Year” award for 2025.

Despite the rivalry between Benn and Eubank, which dates back to their fathers’ two fights over 30 years ago, he said he is “more up for this fight than I have been for any other” against Garcia. He also echoed Garcia’s sentiment by wishing their fight was sooner and seeking a stoppage victory to achieve what he believes is “written in the stars.”

“When I see an opportunity, I’m going to take it,” Benn said of winning by stoppage. “If you look at all my fights, I can do 12 rounds of pace, no problem. My work ethic and discipline, it’s unmatched. I do 12 rounds, I do 10 rounds. I have ‘Fight of the Year’ up at middleweight, drop back down even now to this fight [and I am] doing 12 rounds easy.

“I’m a 15-round fighter. If it does go to points, which in my heart, I don't believe it does. Me to my core, I don't believe it does. That's what I believe. I prepared hard for a hard fight, but I’m looking for the stoppage. As soon as I see an opportunity in there, I’m gonna shoot my shot. And when I shoot, I don’t miss.”

RAMIREZ-ROCHA ADDED TO GARCIA-BENN UNDERCARD

An interesting welterweight bout has been added to the Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn undercard.

Zuffa Boxing announced Wednesday that former unified junior welterweight champ Jose Ramirez will square off against Alexis Rocha in a 10-round bout that will be part of preliminary action September 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Paramount+ will stream Ramirez versus Rocha in the United States as part of a five-fight preliminary card, which will begin at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT). It will also be available via DAZN in the United Kingdom and Ireland, starting at 10 p.m. BST.

Ramirez (29-3, 18 KOs) – an Avenal, California native who once held the WBC and WBO 140-pound crowns – hasn’t fought since he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Devin Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) in May 2025 as part of The Ring’s event at Times Square in New York. Rocha, a southpaw from Santa Ana, California, who is ranked No. 8 among The Ring’s 147-pound contenders for a vacant championship, most recently defeated former IBF junior lightweight champ Joseph Diaz Jr. (34-10-1, 15 KOs) by unanimous decision in a 10-round match March 14 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

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Zuffa also announced these four fights as part of the preliminary card:

■ Pablo Rubio (15-0, 5 KOs) vs. Oswaldo Molina (9-0, 4 KOs) – 6 rounds, lightweights

■ Abel Gonzalez (8-0, 6 KOs) vs. Raul Salomon (16-4-1, 14 KOs) – 8 rounds, super middleweights

■ Vlad Panin (24-2, 16 KOs) vs. Dakota Linger (17-7-3, 13 KOs) – 6 rounds, junior middleweights

■ Sean Garcia (7-1-1, 2 KOs) vs. Abraham Morales (4-1, 2 KOs) – 6 rounds, lightweights

The four-fight main portion of the Garcia-Benn event is set to start at 8 p.m. (5 p.m. PT) in the U.S. and 1 a.m. BST in the UK.

Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs, 1 NC), of Victorville, California, will defend the WBC welterweight title for the first time against England’s Benn (25-1, 14 KOs). DraftKings lists Garcia, who won his WBC belt from Mario Barrios six months ago at T-Mobile Arena, as almost a 4-1 favorite.