Shawn Porter warns weight cut could hurt Benn against Garcia

Shawn Porter believes Conor Benn’s move back to welterweight could undermine him against Ryan Garcia. Benn has not fought at 147lbs since 2022 and is preparing to return to the division for their September 12 world-title contest at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Porter, a former world champion who shared sparring rounds with Benn before the first fight in his rivalry with Chris Eubank Jr, said the physical demands of making welterweight could affect the British challenger before the opening bell. He stressed that Benn will need exceptional discipline to bring his weight down and maintain his performance.

Benn is 29 and has competed as high as 160lbs since his last welterweight appearance. His scheduled meeting with Eubank was cancelled after two positive doping tests, but the rivalry was later renewed. Eubank won their first bout by unanimous decision before Benn took the rematch on the same verdict.

The British fighter most recently earned a wide points victory over Regis Prograis in April. He has also indicated that the Garcia bout will be his final assignment at welterweight, with a possible move as high as 168lbs in the future. That decision reflects the difficulty he is facing in reaching the division’s limit.

Garcia, 28, will make the first defence of the world title he won from Mario Barrios by unanimous decision in February. The fight with Benn will be only his second outing at 147lbs after he lost a unanimous decision to Rolando Romero in May 2025.

Porter’s assessment places the weight cut at the centre of Benn’s challenge. Garcia enters the contest as the champion, while Benn must manage a return to a division he has not used for four years and produce at the required level against a fighter making his first defence.