Ryan Garcia faces the first test of his world title reign on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas, as British star Conor Benn drops down in weight to challenge for Garcia's WBC welterweight title.
It will be Garcia's first defense since claiming the belt with a career-best victory over Mario Barrios in February, successfully bouncing back from a defeat to Rolly Romero the previous May. He soon after began teasing a bout against Benn, which materialized in the months to follow as the pair exchanged trash talk over social media.
Benn will fight at welterweight for the first time since 2022 as he vies for Garcia's WBC belt. In 2025, Benn fought a pair of grudge matches against Chris Eubank Jr., suffering his lone career defeat in the first before rebounding with
a unanimous decision victory in the rematch.
He then set the stage for his bout against Garcia in April, defeating former world champion Regis Prograis by unanimous decision at a 150-pound catchweight.
Here's more on the Garcia vs. Benn world title fight card.
What time does the Ryan Garcia fight start?
Coverage of the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn fight card will begin at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 8. Ring walks for the main event will begin at approximately 10:15 p.m. CT. A five-fight preliminary card will also air for free at 4 p.m. CT.
- PPV start: 7 p.m. CT
- Garcia vs. Benn ring walks: approx. 10:15 p.m. CT
Where to watch the Ryan Garcia fight?
The Garcia vs. Benn fight card will air exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States, while it will air on DAZN pay-per-view in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
- Watch: Paramount+
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn fight card
- Ryan Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) vs. Conor Benn (25-1, 14 KOs); WBC welterweight title
- Jai Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) vs. Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs)
- Andres Cortes (25-0, 13 KOs) vs. Mark Magsayo (29-2, 19 KOs)
- Da’Mazion Vanhouter (12-0, 9 KOs) vs. Raphael Akpejiori (19-3, 18 KOs)
Preliminary card
- Jose Ramirez (29-3, 18 KOs) vs. Alexis Rocha (26-2-1, 16 KOs)
- Pablo Rubio (15-0, 5 KOs) vs. Oswaldo Molina (9-0, 4 KOs)
- Abel Gonzalez (8-0, 6 KOs) vs. Raul Salomon (16-4-1, 14 KOs)
- Vlad Panin (24-2, 16 KOs) vs. Dakota Linger (17-7-3, 13 KOs)
- Sean Garcia (7-1-1, 2 KOs) vs. Abraham Morales (4-1, 2 KOs)
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn fight location
Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn will square off at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Benn has previously fought in Las Vegas once, while Garcia has fought in the same venue in two of his last five fights.
- Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Ryan Garcia record
Ryan Garcia is 25-2 with 20 wins by knockout.
Garcia has held the WBC welterweight title since February, when he defeated reigning titleholder Mario Barrios by unanimous decision. That was his first bout since suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Rolly Romero in his welterweight debut the year prior, his second career loss following a 2023 defeat to Gervonta "Tank" Davis.
Garcia is ranked No. 4 at welterweight by ESPN and No. 6 by The Ring.
Ryan Garcia age, height, weight class
Ryan Garcia is 28 years old and stands at 5-foot-8½ with a 70-inch reach.
Garcia has fought in the lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight divisions. He's weighed in at average of 146.6 pounds over his last two bouts, each contested at welterweight.
Conor Benn record
Benn 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.
Conor Benn age, height, weight class
Conor 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.
Harrison Campbell covers boxing for The Tennessean and high school sports for The Daily Herald. Email him at hcampbell@usatodayco.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What to know about Ryan Garcia's WBC title fight defense vs Conor Benn
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
