Conor Benn admits he must be insane to be boxing nepo baby after gruelling 34lb weight cut for Ryan Garcia title fight

CONOR BENN successfully completed his insane 34lb weight cut and admitted he must be crazy to be a boxing nepo baby.

The 29-year-old enjoyed a mega-money middleweight two-fight rivalry with Chris Eubank Jr at 160lb.

But in Las Vegas this week – as he boiled back down to the 147lb welterweight limit to fight Ryan Garcia for his WBC world title – he revealed he was around 180lb before trimming down for the iconic second-generation clashes.

Benn was first on the scales at 9.01am – 10mins before the American scaled in at 145lb in Sin City – and looked dehydrated but determined as he even sneaked in 1lb under at 146lb.

The Essex-based brawler said: “I don’t have to box. I was raised in a mansion and went to private school. Do I have to box? No.

“It isn’t a rags-to-riches story, I haven’t clawed my way up out of the mud. There’s been no poverty or hardship.

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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.

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With barely a year of amateur experience while living in Australia, he made his professional debut on an Anthony Joshua PPV undercard thanks to dad Nigel’s brilliant 1990s fighting legacy.

Under trainer Tony Sims he showed drastic improvements but rejected the chance to box for any domestic title, from Southern Area to British.

And his reputation remains stained by a doping case he eventually won but chose to withhold his evidence and case details.

The epic rivalry with Eubank Jr – one loss and a rematch win – made him a multimillionaire and earned him a crack at Garcia’s green and gold belt.

But the bookies and boxing boffins have the proven American a clear favourite – which Benn accepts because of his rapid and unusual rise.

And he admits that a decade ago when he first took boxing seriously, forseeing this success would have earned him a passed sell, not millions and mansions.

He said: “The public has to have opinions, otherwise it would be boring.

“I was written off for the first Eubank fight, it was fight of the year and I won the second one. Am I disappointed in the public? No.

“The pressure is on Ryan, I had 20 amateur bouts and have just worked hard.

“It has not been easy getting here, at the age of 19 if I had predicted all of this, I would have been put in a straight jacket.”

Benn deserves credit for taking on Garcia – who beat London 2012 golden boy Luke Campbell in 2021.

An underdog upset would rank alongside some of the greatest Brit wins abroad, like Lloyd Honeyghan stunning Donald Curry and John H Stracey going to Mexico to best Jose Napoles.

He has boasted about earning generational wealth for his three children and future grandchildren.

But he claims that those two Eubank epics – that followed on from the iconic clashes between their fathers – will always be the sporting measure of him.

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

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“The Eubank fights are my legacy,” he said.

“I want kids to get old and remember watching my fights, ordering fish and chips in, staying up late.

“I saw it with my dad, grown men talked about how they bonded by watching my dad fight.

“That’s legacy, when you inspire the next generation to come through.

“I am here to take the belt home. I want to give the fans the fights they want. I want to entertain and give value for money.”

Garcia tried to get under Benn’s skin by reminding the world of the embarrassing period during his doping-case saga when his team entertained the idea that scoffing too many contaminated eggs caused banned substance clomifene to twice be found in his system.

Eubank Jr famously smacked a raw one across his face in the build-up to their brilliant original bout.

But Garcia was blocked from smuggling a couple into their press conference, so he peeled and ate a hard boiled one on the stage instead.