Ryan Garcia's emotion in the ring was palpable as he had the green WBC welterweight title wrapped around his waist following a one-sided unanimous decision win over Mario Barrios in February.
But the victory tour is long over now. A far more stoic Garcia arrived in Las Vegas this week for his first title defense against Conor Benn, a boisterous British contender and son of Hall of Famer Nigel Benn.
Benn was fighting at 160 pounds last November as he avenged his lone career loss in a rematch against Chris Eubank Jr., but sucked himself down to the welterweight division's 147-pound limit to vie for Garcia's title.
"I don't think he's mentally stronger than me," said Garcia at the final press conference. "I think that he knows how to take an (expletive)
whooping, if that's mentally strong? ... Me, I'm just going to be focused and taking advantage of his inexperience."
Follow along below for The Tennessean's live updates throughout the Garcia vs. Benn fight card.
Conor Benn record
05:10 PM ET, September 12 2026, Harrison CampbellBenn is 25-1 with 14 wins by knockout.
Once a rising welterweight contender, Benn has not fought in the division since 2022. He'll challenge for his first career world title as he faces Garcia.
Benn is ranked No. 4 at middleweight by ESPN, while he's unranked by The Ring.
How tall is Conor Benn? Age, height, weight class
05:03 PM ET, September 12 2026, Harrison CampbellConor Benn is 29 years old and stands at 5-8 with a 68-inch reach.
Benn began his career fighting at welterweight before moving up in 2022 and later facing Chris Eubank Jr. in a pair of fights at middleweight. He most recently weighed in at 149½ pounds as he took on Regis Prograis in a 150-pound catchweight bout.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Live Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn fight updates, results, highlights
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