“King Ry” is back and has a date.
WBC Welterweight champion Ryan Garcia revealed during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that he is set to face British contender Conor Benn on Sat., Sept. 12, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada — with T-Mobile Arena expected to host the event.
Garcia confirmed the matchup himself while teasing Benn’s identity before making the announcement official.
“We are fighting on September 12 — it’ll be in Las Vegas, and for my opponent, let’s just say he’s from
the other side. Across the pond, I’m sorry,” Garcia said. “I’ll just say his name because I love this show. His name is Conor Benn. He’s been talking a lot; he’s talking crazy. He actually confronted me at an awards show two years ago. My wife was there, and he pressed me, grabbed me, so it’s a little personal.”
Interestingly enough, the bout will take place on the same day as Canelo Alvarez’s next fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (details here) — meaning boxing fans are in for a massive doubleheader day featuring two of the sport’s biggest Mexican stars.
Garcia (25-2-1) enters the matchup fresh off arguably one of the best performances of his career after dominating Mario Barrios earlier this year to capture the WBC Welterweight title (watch highlights).
The victory was a major bounce-back moment following his disappointing unanimous decision loss to Rolando Romero. Before that, Garcia famously defeated Devin Haney in a chaotic rivalry fight that was later overturned to a no-contest following a failed drug test.
Meanwhile, Benn (24-1) continues rebuilding momentum after his highly publicized suspension saga. The British Welterweight most recently defeated Regis Prograis via unanimous decision in the co-main event of Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov, reportedly pocketing $15 million for his Zuffa Boxing debut.
Before that, Benn also scored a heated rematch win over Chris Eubank Jr.
But beyond the actual fight, the business side of this event may end up being even more fascinating.
Who exactly is promoting this card? Will it be Zuffa Boxing? DAZN? Netflix? Some kind of crossover partnership?
And perhaps most importantly: will UFC CEO Dana White and Oscar De La Hoya actually have to work together to make this event happen?
That alone might deserve its own pay-per-view.
For now, though, one thing is official: Garcia vs. Benn is headed to “Sin City.”
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