CONOR BENN has made a stunning career decision just DAYS before his ring return against Ryan Garcia.
The Brit will look to dethrone ‘King Ry’ as WBC welterweight champion in a Sin City shootout early on Sunday morning.
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The fight will be Benn’s first at 147lbs in over FOUR YEARS, with his last outing at the weight being his second-round TKO victory of former IBO champ Chris van Heerden.
Benn has been undergoing a gruelling weight cut over the last few months to make the championship limit in Friday’s weigh-ins.
The diet has been “excruciating” for ‘The Destroyer’, who has revealed he immediately plans to vacate the belt if he’s victorious.
He told The Ring Magazine: “There are no excuses – it’s just my last fight at 147[lbs] to dominate, get the belt and move on.
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“Then [I’ll move up to] 168[lbs]. Yeah, I won’t be doing 154[lbs]. No way…
“This was always going to be my last fight at 147[lbs].
“It’s for the WBC world title. I wanted a world title shot at the weight I started my career at.
“I sidetracked with the [Chris] Eubank [Jr[ fight, but all roads have led back to this.”
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Garcia vs Benn – all the info
Ryan Garcia will make the first defence of his WBC welterweight title against British superstar Conor Benn THIS Saturday.
The blockbuster Las Vegas event is under the arm of Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing promotion.
Garcia, 28, captured his first world title in February by securing a dominant unanimous decision victory over Mario Barrios.
Benn, 29, is challenging for a world title for the first time in his professional career.
His sole professional defeat came against domestic rival Chris Eubank Jr in April 2025, a loss he quickly avenged with a dominant unanimous decision victory in their November 2025 rematch.
Benn enters the biggest bout of his life following a decisive points win over former world champion Regis Prograis in April, which marked his debut under Zuffa Boxing.
ALL THE INFO
LATEST NEWS
- Hearn admits serious fears for Benn in Garcia world title showdown
- Garcia makes chilling Benn prediction
- Benn backed to repeat Hrgovic’s tactics
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Benn provided boxing fans with a worrying update on his condition ahead of fight night this past weekend.
He shared a video of himself flexing his incredibly lean frame in the mirror.
The 29-year-old’s muscles looked incredibly flat, and his face was visibly gaunt.
His current condition has even sparked concerns from former promoter Eddie Hearn, who told Fight Hype: “Conor trains so hard. I know we’ve had our differences, but his work ethic is incredible.
“What he is doing to his body consistently, whilst being depleted, is really, really hard work.
“And you can see it in his face. Not just in the drawnness; I can actually see it in his eyes. I can see the pain in his eyes.
“Because when he’s at 160 and 154lbs, mate, he’s a beast and he’s coming out of training and eating and going again.
“Waking up, eating and going again.
The Home of Boxing in 2026
There’s a massive year of boxing ahead!
It has already been a blockbuster year inside the ring, and it is not going to stop anytime soon!
All eyes are focused on when Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will get in the ring, with the pair due to finally settle their decade-long rivalry.
Conor Benn fights for his first world title one week later against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas – it is The Destroyer’s second bout for Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
October’s action doesn’t stop either, with Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois facing off in the rematch of their thrilling fight in May, while Canelo Alvarez returns against Christian Mbili on Halloween.
Here’s all the big fights coming up…
September
- Sat 12 – Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia – DAZN
- Sep 12 – Jai Opetaia vs Noel Mikaelian
- Sat 19 – Isaac Cruz vs Nestor Bravo – DAZN
October
- Sat 3 – Ben Whittaker vs Conor Wallace – DAZN
- Sat 17 – Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 – DAZN
- Sat 31 – Canelo Alvarez vs Christian Mbili – DAZN
*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue.
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“Now, he’ll be on a big calorie deficit and [on] fight week, he’ll be eating nothing, he’ll be on limited water – and that depletes you.”
He added: “If he gets hit flush on the chin at 147 against Ryan Garcia, the fight is over.
“So he’s got to rely on his ability, but he likes to engage and he likes to jump in.
“Ryan is so reactive; he’s a great counterpuncher.
“Ryan can also be hurt, but I don’t think Conor’s going to punch hard enough at 47.
“You only have to look at him to know [that]. And that’s just now; he’s probably 154 or 156lbs right now.
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“He’s gonna have to drop seven or eight pounds between now and next week.
“Wait until you see him on the scales, it won’t be pretty.”