The right hand landed first. Ryan Garcia, known for the left hook that made him a star, dropped Conor Benn with a right hook in round two on Saturday night in Las Vegas, and the follow-up barrage forced the referee to step in. Benn beat the count, but he was overwhelmed in the corner, and the WBC welterweight title stayed with Garcia.
The stoppage was the first of Benn's career. He had never been stopped in 25 professional fights before challenging Garcia, and he had never fought for a world title. He was fighting up at welterweight, a division above his recent work, and the size and speed difference showed in the brief time the fight lasted.
Benn started with heavy pressure, as expected. He walked forward from the opening bell, looking to impose himself on the champion. Garcia circled and looked for counters, and one left hook in the first round had Benn stumbling. But it was the right hand that ended it.
"I've always had a right hand, but I've always had injuries," Garcia said in the ring afterward. "I'm just happy, man, I'm blessed."
Garcia, 28, has now won the WBC welterweight title in his second fight at the weight. He was emotional after the win, and he spoke about the peace he felt in the locker room before the fight. "We were playing worship music the whole time, praising my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ," he said.
He also addressed the crowd directly about his identity. "I know some people don't see me as Mexican because I don't speak Spanish, but my heart never goes away from you guys," he said, fighting on Mexican Independence weekend.
The build-up to the fight was bitter, and the context was complicated. Both fighters have dealt with drug-test controversies in recent years. In 2022, Benn failed two drug tests and was provisionally suspended from boxing in the UK before being cleared in 2024. Garcia failed a drug test in 2024 and served a one-year ban. Both men maintained their innocence throughout.
Benn, 29, was quick to congratulate Garcia after the defeat. It was his second professional loss, following a points defeat by Chris Eubank Jr last April. That fight, and the rematch that followed, may now shape what comes next for Benn.
Benn and Eubank Jr traded wins in 2025. Eubank Jr outpointed Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April, and Benn returned the favour at the same venue in November. Both fights took place at middleweight, and after Saturday's loss at welterweight, Benn may feel his days fighting below that division are done.
The two men are the sons of old rivals Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr, and their rivalry has carried the family history into a new generation. A third fight between them would settle the series, and Benn's options at welterweight are now unclear after the manner of this defeat.
Garcia, meanwhile, could be set for an all-American clash with Teofimo Lopez. Lopez recently won the WBA welterweight title, and he tried to face off with Garcia in the ring on Saturday after the main event. Nothing has been confirmed, but the two champions sharing a ring in Las Vegas suggests the groundwork for a fight is already being laid.
The fight itself was brief, but the aftermath was not. Garcia stood in the ring and thanked Benn for the build-up and the match, and he spoke about his faith and his heritage. The stoppage was decisive, and the win was the biggest of Garcia's career at welterweight. For Benn, the loss raises questions about his future at the weight, and the path back to a title shot is now unclear.
According to Yahoo Sports.
