Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn both made the welterweight limit ahead of their 12-round WBC world title fight in Las Vegas. The bout headlines a co-promoted card on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena, with Garcia making the first defense of his belt.
Conor Benn and Ryan Garcia
The scale drama that dominated pre-fight discussions in Las Vegas ended quietly behind closed doors on Friday at the UFC Apex, as Conor Benn and Ryan Garcia both comfortably made the welterweight limit for their WBC title clash. Briton Benn, 29, weighed in at 10st 6lb (66kg) – half a pound heavier than the champion. At the commission weigh-in, he tipped the scales at 146lbs and Garcia was 145.5, culminating in what the Brit labeled a ‘brutal’ weight cut, during which many fans, fighters and analysts said he looked in a bad state.
Weigh-In Results and Rehydration Surprises at the UFC Apex
Only 12 hours after stepping off the scale behind closed doors at the UFC Apex, Benn revealed on social media that he had put on 32lbs to reach 12st 10lb (81.65kg). Speaking at a ceremonial event in front of fans later on Friday, Benn already looked noticeably bigger, his face and shoulders having filled out. When questioned about the grueling cut and his rapid rehydration, Benn offered a brief appraisal of his condition.
“Did it look hard? How did I look? We’ll see tomorrow night how good I really feel.”
Conor Benn
Benn had previously said he could weigh as much as 12st 7lb (80kg) by the time he stepped into the ring on Saturday. Because Benn is returning to the division having fought as high as middleweight in the time since 2022, much of the pre-fight talk has been focused on how he will work his body back down while maintaining his key attributes – aggression, tenacity and pace. Benn was awarded the number one spot despite not competing at the weight since 2022.
Keith Connolly
Managerial Mind Games and the T-Mobile Arena Showdown
Pre-fight friction extended beyond the scale when Ryan Garcia no-showed the first face-off during fight week. Ahead of the main event in Las Vegas, Benn’s manager Keith Connolly spoke to Ariel Helwani about Garcia no-showing the first face-off and his bold take about fight night.
“Ryan seemed very upbeat in the weeks leading up to the fight, and now that we’ve gotten to fight week, he seems a little bit rattled. I think Ryan’s struggling to make weight, and I think that’s going to weigh heavily on Ryan.”
Photo: boxingnewsonline.net
Keith Connolly
Keith Connolly gave his verdict on why Garcia no-showed the first face-off and also revealed a bold take ahead of fight night. Connolly stated: “I saw the same thing with my guy Filip last week. He really got into Itauma’s head. He told him he was going to smash his face in, throw him out of the ring and send him back to high school. Conor sort of has that attitude this week. My guy is going to be willing to go to places that Ryan has proven he won’t go to, and I think that’ll be the difference in the fight.” Both have attracted their fair share of criticism, including issues with PEDs and Garcia testing positive for the banned substance ostarine on both the day before and the day of the fight against Devin Haney, which was ultimately changed to a no-contest.
Zab Judah will be in attendance at the T Mobile Arena, Las Vegas this weekend when Ryan Garcia makes the first defence of his WBC welterweight world title against mandatory challenger Conor Benn. Judah told Fight Hub TV that he believes Benn was playing tricks on Garcia in the lead-up after seeing him take the stage at the ceremonial weigh-in.
Photo: bbc.co.uk
“I see two guys ready to fight. They look in shape. Conor Benn played some good mind tricks on us with the AI video where everybody thought he was weight-drained. He looks sharp and strong.”
Zab Judah
Championship Stakes and Full Vegas Fight Card
American Garcia, 28, won the WBC belt with a dominant points victory over Mario Barrios in February and is making his first defence against Benn. Garcia has won 25 of his 28 professional contests, including 20 knockout victories, with two defeats and one no-contest. Benn has 25 wins – 14 by knockout – and one loss, and is fighting for his first world title, following a loss to Rolando Romero in his 147lbs debut before Garcia beat Mario Barrios for the belt earlier this year.
Zab Judah REACTS to Conor vs Ryan weigh in & makes FINAL prediction!
The headliner tops a card on September 12 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, as a co-promoted event between Zuffa Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions. Fight fans in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and most countries worldwide can catch the action live on DAZN pay-per-view and The Ultimate Tier, while the U.S. can watch the event on Paramount+, with Garcia’s WBC welterweight title on the line. Alongside the championship main event, the lineup features a full card of fights:
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn, 12 rounds, for Garcia’s WBC welterweight title
Jai Opetaia vs Noel Mikaelian, 12 rounds, for Opetaia’s lineal cruiserweight title
Mark Magsayo vs Andres Cortes, 10 rounds, lightweights
Da’Mazion Vanhouter vs Raphael Akpejiori, 8 rounds, heavyweights
Jose Ramirez vs Alexis Rocha, 10 rounds, welterweights
Pablo Rubio vs Oswaldo Molina, 6 rounds, lightweights
Abel Gonzalez vs Raul Salomon, 8 rounds, super middleweights
Vlad Panin vs Dakota Linger, 6 rounds, super welterweights
Sean Garcia vs Abraham Morales, 6 rounds, lightweights
Judah would not make a prediction for the fight, but offered specific tactical advice for both fighters and is confident that the ringside judges won’t be required under the lights in Sin City.
“Ryan’s got to box from the outside, land some good combinations. If you’re Connor you gotta take the fight to him, stay on his chest. It’s safe to say I believe it’s gonna end in a knockout. I don’t think it’s gonna make it all twelve rounds.”
Daniel Richardson is the Editor-in-Chief of Archysport, where he leads the editorial team and oversees all published content across nine sport verticals. With over 15 years in sports journalism, Daniel has reported from the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, NFL Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tennis tournaments. He previously served as Senior Sports Editor at Reuters and holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. Recognized by the Sports Journalists' Association for excellence in reporting, Daniel is a member of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). His editorial philosophy centers on accuracy, depth, and fair coverage — ensuring every story published on Archysport meets the highest standards of sports journalism.
