Ryan Garcia steps back into the limelight to defend his WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn in a Mexican Independence Day Weekend clash.
Garcia vs. Benn is on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Since serving a suspension for a positive test for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine, Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) has gone 1-1 and enters as the favorite, having captured the WBC welterweight belt with a unanimous decision over Mario Barrios in February. Dubbed the ‘bad boy of boxing’ for his brash persona outside the ring, Garcia has fueled pre-fight drama by vowing to stop Benn within five rounds.
Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) moves back to the 147-pound welterweight division, aiming for his first world title shot. He enters the ring following
consecutive victories over Chris Eubank Jr. in a middleweight fight and a catchweight bout against Regis Prograis.
At what time does Ryan Garcia fight?
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
- Time: 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT
- Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn main event ring walks (approximately): 9 p.m. ET / 10 p.m. CT
- Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn full card
- Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn; Welterweight, for the WBC title
- Jai Opetaia vs. Noel Mikaelian; Cruiserweight
- Mark Magsayo vs. Andres Cortes; Lightweight
- Damazion Vanhouter vs. Raphael Akpejiori; Heavyweight
- Jose Ramirez vs. Alexis Rocha; Welterweights
- Pablo Rubio vs. Oswaldo Molina; Catchweights
- Abel Gonzalez vs. Raul Salomon; Super middleweights
- Vlad Panin vs. Dakota Linger; Super welterweights
- Sean Garcia vs. Abraham Morales; Lightweights
Ryan Garcia, Conor Benn make weight
Garcia weighed in at 145.5 pounds on Friday, Sept. 11 and Benn weighed in at 146 pounds.
More about Ryan Garcia
Garcia was a 15-time national amateur champion and amassed an amateur record of 215 wins and 15 losses and turned pro at the age of 17.
Garcia, who is from Victorville, California, is a former WBC lightweight titleholder, having defeated Luke Campbell for the title in 2021.
Conor Benn comes from boxing family
Benn is a British fighter whose father, Nigel Benn, was a two-division world champion. Conor Benn turned pro in 2016.
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Bennn streaming
The Garcia vs. Benn fight card will air exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States, at no extra cost to subscribers, while it will air on DAZN pay-per-view in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn odds
According to FanDuel, Garcia is the favorite to defend the WBC welterweight title against Benn.
- Ryan Garcia: -350
- Conor Benn: +250
Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn prediction
WBA welterweight champ Teofimo Lopez: Garcia wins
"I think Conor Benn is going to show the aggression at first, he’s going to bring the fight to Ryan,” Lopez recently told DAZN. “I think as long as Ryan weathers the storm, there’s a possibility of Ryan (beating) Conor Benn that night. ... It’s all about who wants it more and it looks like Conor Benn at this point in time with all the training and everything of that nature, but the technique is not there. Conor Benn has a great style, but I think it’s kind of made for Ryan Garcia to win that night.”
Former world champ Terrance Crawford: Garcia wins
"I think Conor Benn. I think (Rolando Romero) showed us all if you don't get hit with the left hook and you land your big shots that you can neutralize Ryan and his ability to land his left hook. So I think Conor Benn, going in with a great game plan can be victorious.
WBC lightweight titleholder Dalton Smith: Garcia should be favored
"As a Brit, you want (Benn) to do it because that would be a good fight for me to be a part of as well, but I think Ryan has the speed, the youth, the speed and power, I just favor Ryan in that fight."
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Is Ryan Garcia fighting tonight? How to watch vs. Conor Benn for title
