Conor Benn to move up from welterweight after Ryan Garcia fight

Conor Benn has decided to move to a higher weight division following his upcoming fight against Ryan Garcia. The bout is scheduled for September 12 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as part of a Zuffa Boxing and Golden Boy co-promoted event.

Benn will challenge Garcia for the WBC world title. This marks the first title defense for the American, who won the belt in February by defeating Mario Barrios via unanimous decision. Garcia previously lost a 147lb debut against Rolando Romero by unanimous decision after a year-long doping ban.

The weight cut to 147lbs has proven difficult for Benn. He has not competed at the welterweight limit for four years, having last fought at that weight in 2022 against Chris van Heerden. Since then, his weight has fluctuated, including competing at 160lbs in fights against Chris Eubank Jr. and at a 150lb catchweight against Regis Prograis.

Benn described the process of reaching the welterweight limit as brutal. He noted that he reached 183lbs during his previous encounters with Eubank. He stated that once he secures the world title, he intends to move to a higher weight class.

While Benn is currently focused on staying below 147lbs for the Garcia match, he indicated that he could eventually compete as high as 168lbs in the future.