Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn

Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn
DateSeptember 12, 2026
VenueT-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
Title(s) on the lineWBC welterweight title
Tale of the tape
Boxer Ryan Garcia Conor Benn
Nickname King Ry The Destroyer
Hometown Victorville, California, U.S. London, England, U.K.
Pre-fight record 25–2 (1) (20 KOs) 25–1 (14 KOs)
Age 28 years, 1 month 29 years, 11 months
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Style Orthodox Orthodox
Recognition WBC
welterweight champion
The Ring
No. 5 Ranked Welterweight		 WBC
No. 1 Ranked Welterweight

Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn, billed as USA vs. UK,[1] is an upcoming professional boxing match contested between WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn. The bout is scheduled to take place on September 12, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.

The fight will be co-promoted by Zuffa Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions, in partnership with The Ring magazine, and broadcast globally on Paramount+, with DAZN carrying the event in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[2][3]

Background

During Mexican American boxer Ryan Garcia's one-year suspension after failing a drug test from his bout against Devin Haney, both Garcia and British boxer Conor Benn attended the 2024 Ring Magazine Awards and during an interview, Benn stated he would fight Garcia when asked about a potential matchup. Garcia then approached Benn, leading to a tense staredown in which Benn shoved Garcia before security intervened.[4]

Following Garcia's victory against Mario Barrios to claim the WBC welterweight title, Benn congratulated Garcia and said, "Keep my belt warm" for a potential match later in the year.[5] Months later, Benn defeated Regis Prograis by UD in the co-main event of Fury vs. Makhmudov.[6] Later that night, Benn called out Garcia for a fight on social media, which Garcia accepted.[7]

On July 15, 2026, Dana White officially announced Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn.[1] This will be Garcia's first WBC title defense against his mandatory challenger.[8] The fight will be promoted by TKO's Zuffa Boxing league, in partnership with Golden Boy Promotions and The Ring magazine.

On August 11, Zuffa Boxing's wrestling sister company WWE and its Mexican subsidiary Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide will hold Night 1 of Triplemanía 34, which will take place at the nearby MGM Grand Garden Arena, as a lead-in to the boxing match.[9][10] Also as part of Garcia vs. Benn weekend, TKO will promote UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Delgado, the fourth edition of the UFC's annual "Noche UFC" MMA event celebrating Mexican culture, on September 12 in Glendale, Arizona.[11][12] Triplemanía 34, UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Delgado, and Garcia vs. Benn will all be held days before Mexican Independence Day, a major time for Mexican combat sports.[11][13]

Fight card

Weight class vs. Method Round Time Notes
Main card
Welterweight Ryan Garcia (c) vs. Conor Benn – (12) Note 1
Cruiserweight Jai Opetaia (c) vs. Noel Mikaelian – (12) Note 2
Lightweight Mark Magsayo vs. Andres Cortes – (10)
Heavyweight Raphael Akpejiori vs. Damazion Vanhouter – (8)

^Note 1 For WBC welterweight title.
^Note 2 For Zuffa Boxing and The Ring cruiserweight titles.

References

  1. 1 2 "Garcia vs. Benn Official: Dana White Announces Sept. 12 Title Fight". Boxing Insider. Retrieved August 21, 2026. Alalshikh billed the event as "USA VS UK" in his announcement.
  2. ↑ "Dana White Makes It Official: Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn Sept. 12". UFC.com. July 15, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia: WBC welterweight title fight announced in Las Vegas on September 12". Sky Sports. July 16, 2026.
  4. ↑ Newswire, MMA Fighting (January 13, 2025). "Watch Ryan Garcia, Conor Benn get separated after heated exchange at Ring Magazine awards". MMA Fighting. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  5. ↑ Benn, Conor (July 19, 2026). "That belt is mine @RyanGarcia". X. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Conor Benn outpoints Regis Prograis in first fight with Zuffa". ESPN.com. April 11, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Conor Benn Calls Out Ryan Garcia After Win: "Keep My Belt Warm"". BoxingInsider. July 19, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Ryan Garcia wrests Mario Barrios' WBC title in one-sided win". ESPN.com. February 22, 2026.
  9. ↑ Russell, Skylar (August 20, 2026). "AAA TripleMania Was Initially Planned As A One Night Event". Fighful. Retrieved August 21, 2026. WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select is reporting that AAA TripleMania was initially planned to be a one night show. However, the decision to split it into two nights comes with the intention of attracting network executives that are in Las Vegas for the Zuffa Boxing event.
  10. ↑ WWE.com Staff (July 30, 2026). "First-ever Triplemanía event in Las Vegas moves to iconic MGM Grand Garden Arena". WWE. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Weissmann, Andrew (July 21, 2026). "Six fights announced for Noche UFC 4, headlined by Moreno and Grasso returns". MixedMartialArts.com. Retrieved August 21, 2026. The scheduling is the other story. September 12 is also the date for Zuffa Boxing's Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn card in Las Vegas, meaning TKO Group's MMA and boxing arms are running major events on the same night.
  12. ↑ Parviz Iskenderov (July 19, 2026). "Six fights announced for Noche UFC in Glendale, Arizona in September". fightmag.com. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  13. ↑ Gomez, Eric (September 15, 2023). "Why Mexican Independence Day impacts the boxing and MMA schedules". ESPN. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
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