Ryan Garcia to defend WBC belt against Conor Benn
Ryan Garcia has announced that he will face Conor Benn in a major bout in Las Vegas on September 12 in the first defense of his WBC welterweight title, News.Az reports, citing Sky Sports.
Garcia revealed the fight during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday.
While discussing his next opponent, Garcia initially said the challenger was “from the other side,” prompting host Jimmy Fallon to jokingly wonder whether he meant an alien from a UFO.
Garcia then clarified: “No, he's from across the pond. I'll just say his name: Conor Benn. He's talking a lot.”
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The American boxer also recalled an incident involving Benn at an awards event two years ago.
“He pressed up on me, grabbed me, so it's a little personal,” Garcia said. “I'm going to really put a whopping on this man, and we will send him back to the UK sipping on some tea.”
Garcia, 27, won the WBC welterweight title in February after defeating Mario Barrios by unanimous decision. He dropped Barrios in the opening round before securing a convincing victory on the scorecards.
Benn heads into the fight following back-to-back headline bouts against Chris Eubank Jr. at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Their first meeting was widely regarded as the fight of the year in 2025 before Benn avenged the loss in the rematch.
Benn, who holds a 25-1 record with 14 knockouts, most recently defeated former 140-pound champion Regis Prograis by unanimous decision on April 26 after signing a multi-year agreement with Zuffa Boxing.
By Nijat Babayev
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