Ryan Garcia challenges Conor Benn’s weight ahead of Las Vegas fight

Ryan Garcia has questioned Conor Benn’s decision to make their September 12 meeting his final fight at welterweight. Garcia said Benn was offering an excuse before the contest, which is scheduled for T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Benn has announced that he will leave the 147-pound division after the bout, regardless of the result. The decision follows a demanding effort to reach the welterweight limit during his current training camp, with Benn indicating that he has grown beyond the division.

Garcia responded by saying Benn already knows that making the weight is difficult. He also suggested that Benn was preparing an explanation for defeat before the two fighters enter the ring, while questioning why he would return to the division if the weight cut had become such a problem.

Benn has not competed at 147 pounds since stopping Chris van Heerden in April 2022. He was later named the WBC’s mandatory challenger at welterweight earlier this year after making clear that he intended to return to the division.

Garcia’s comments put Benn’s weight situation at the centre of the build-up to the fight. Benn’s move away from welterweight means the contest could be his last appearance in the division, while Garcia is using the announcement to challenge his opponent’s readiness before fight night.

The Las Vegas card is also set to feature a cruiserweight bout between Jai Opetaia and Noel Mikaelian. Opetaia is the division’s Zuffa Boxing champion, while Mikaelian currently holds the WBC cruiserweight title, although his status as champion could change before fight week.