Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena will play host to a Zuffa championship boxing show on Saturday, September 12th, with all the action streaming on Paramount+. Headlining the card is a battle for the WBC welterweight championship, as one Ryan Garcia (25-2) goes toe-to-toe with Conor Benn (25-1). Saturday night’s bout with Garcia may be Benn’s first world title shot, but he has been operating on the big stage for the last few years, so the occasion won’t be too big for him. Throughout his career, Benn has competed in some of English sport’s best-known venues, from the intimate surrounds of the fabled York Hall in Bethnal Green to the more expansive big-room shows at The O2 Arena, The SSE Arena (better known as Wembley Arena) and The Copper Box. He has also fought in big arenas in Manchester and Liverpool.
The son of English boxing legend and former middleweight and super middleweight champion Nigel Benn, Conor is looking to build his own legacy as one of the UK’s most exciting, dynamic fighters. The younger Benn’s two bouts with rival Chris Eubank Jr. (also the son of a boxing champion) made Benn a bona fide British star. The pair, whose respective fathers were engaged in the biggest rivalry in British boxing back in the 1990s, went head-to-head twice, with Benn moving up in weight to 160 pounds. Eubank took the victory on the scorecards in the first fight, but Benn’s performance in defeat drew praise. Then, in the rematch, Benn exacted revenge as he dropped Eubank twice in the final round en route to a unanimous decision victory of his own.
In Garcia's last outing, February 21st, he defeated Mario Barrios via unanimous decision to win the WBC title. Benn's last effort was a win over ex-junior welterweight champion Regis Prograis, also via unanimous decision.
Now Garcia and Benn are set to do battle in Saturday night’s main event. For Garcia, it’s an opportunity to cement his status as perhaps the premier operator at 147 pounds, while for Benn, it’s a chance to gatecrash boxing’s elite with a victory over one of the biggest stars on this side of the pond. It also presents a fascinating clash of styles, with Garcia pitting his lightning-fast hand speed and countering ability against Benn’s relentless pressure and bottomless gas tank.
Editor's note: It should be noted that both Garcia and Benn have in the past been embroiled in scandals over the use of illegal performance enhancing substances.
