British boxer Conor Benn made his debut for the Zuffa boxing banner by beating Regis Prograis on points, resulting in the American fighter announcing his retirement. Now, “The Destroyer” has his sights set on Ryan Garcia and he’s dropping weight, in order to return to the welterweight division.
Appearing ripped during the training camp for Prograis, Benn is hoping to make good on his challenge to WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia, after repeatedly calling him out for a championship battle. To do that, Benn will need to hit a maximum weight of 147 pounds for their clash, rumored to be penciled in for August 2026. Benn’s most recent fight against Prograis, however, saw The Destroyer tip the scales at 148.1 pounds for the catch weight bout. But back in 2023, the second generation boxer beat Mexico’s Rodolfo Orozco in the super-welterweight division, weighing-in at 154 pounds, so the Londoner has apparently been leaning into his cardio.
Conor Benn discusses his decision to return to welterweight
Benn, with a record of 25 wins (14 by knockout) and just one loss, has largely boxed at welterweight, but at 29-years-old, and having moved away from the grouping, the decision to go back to his old stomping ground took some consideration. “Well, it’s been a bit of a tricky one, because I’ve just gone up to middleweight for the past two years,” the British boxer told M&F of his decision to go back to welterweight. “Ultimately, I just want to get back down to my weight, where I’m at my most dangerous, and get the world title, and we’ll see what happens after that.”
Ryan Garcia is 27 years old, has won 25 fights (20 by knockout) with just two losses, and has never officially gone over welterweight. “King Ry” must make a mandatory title defense against Benn, but he appears confident, recently saying, “It’s gonna be in August. We’re gonna have it in Vegas… Yeah, we’re gonna eat that up. Conor’s about to get blasted, guys.” If Benn makes welterweight, and it looks highly likely that he will do so, this could be an epic fight.
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