Conor Benn suffered a quick defeat by Ryan Garcia on Saturday, as the divisive American put away his controversial British counterpart in two rounds.
Benn was fighting for a world title for the first time as he challenged Garcia in Las Vegas, but after a bitter build-up, the “Destroyer” became the destroyed for the first time in his career.
Garcia, 28, handed Benn, 29, his first stoppage loss, retaining the WBC welterweight belt courtesy of a huge right hook in round two. The shot dropped Benn, who beat the referee’s count but was overwhelmed by the ensuing onslaught from “King Ryan”.
With that, Benn’s attention may return to middleweight, where he traded wins with Chris Eubank Jr in 2025. In fact, Benn’s fierce rival may even be next in a trilogy bout on British soil.
Follow all the fallout from Garcia vs Benn below.
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Garcia vs Conor Benn LIVE
- Ryan Garcia defeats Conor Benn in second round in Las Vegas
- Garcia retains WBC welterweight title as Benn is stopped for first time
- Huge right hook drops Benn, who is soon overwhelmed by American foe
- Jai Opetaia hands Noel Mikaelian first stoppage loss; David Benavidez next?
- Event streamed live on DAZN PPV in UK, Paramount+ in US
Wild scenes as Garcia stops Benn early
08:00 , Alex PattleTHIS REACTION 🍿#GarciaBenn | @ringmagazine pic.twitter.com/T7yvicUuzq
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 13, 2026
Tony Bellew on what's next for Benn
07:30 , Alex Pattle“It’s really hard, because you’re talking about 168lb. Can you imagine trying to pit Conor Benn against Hamzah Sheeraz? It’s just not realistic.
“Super-middleweights are big, big boys. [Conor] is not a big 147lber.
“It’s madness [to go up to middleweight, even]. What 160lber can he beat?
“If I’m Conor Benn, I’m heading towards that Chris Eubank [Jr] trilogy. ‘I’ve gone for a world title, I’ve done my best. Now it’s about money, legacy.’”
Jack Catterall could thwart Garcia vs Teo?
07:00 , Alex PattleJack Catterall tells DAZN that Garcia won’t fight Teofimo Lopez next.
“Not on my watch. I’m mandatory for [Lopez’s] WBA title, I’ve been vocal about it. Fight me or vacate. I’m next in line for that.
“I’m not asking for any favours. I’ve not got the biggest profile, I don’t talk the most s***, but [...] I’ve earned my position on merit.”
Garcia beats Benn: The fight in photos
06:45 , Alex Pattle
Garcia beats Benn: The fight in photos
06:30 , Alex Pattle
Garcia beats Benn: The fight in photos
06:14 , Alex Pattle
Garcia beats Benn: The fight in photos
05:59 , Alex Pattle
Garcia beats Benn: The fight in photos
05:44 , Alex PattleGarcia beats Benn: The fight in photos
05:29 , Alex Pattle
Garcia beats Benn: The fight in photos
05:14 , Alex Pattle
Garcia vs Teofimo Lopez next??
05:03 , Alex PattleTeofimo Lopez tries to get in the ring to face off with Garcia. That would be a fun option next.
Lopez just won the WBA belt by outpointing Rolly Romero, who dropped and outpointed Garcia last May.
A rematch with Devin Haney, who holds the WBO belt, would also be a big fight for Garcia.
More from Garcia
04:58 , Alex PattleGarcia tells DAZN: “I was just so prepared, I was so focused. I was more than focused, I was ready to go. What a performance, bro, what a performance.
“I mean, look: the first round, I knew he was gonna put mad pressure [on]. I caught him with a couple of shots, but I thought: ‘Alright, I’m gonna let him have his way here.’
“The next round, I stood my ground a little bit, and I knew... He was coming in reckless. I already watched all his fights. You can’t come in there like that with me; he was better off running around the first few rounds.
“I’ve got thunder in both hands, man. They’re both ready to go now.
“I’m here, you can trust me as champion. I’m not gonna f*** around.”
An early stoppage? Bellew and Catterall discuss
04:50 , Alex PattleFormer world champion Tony Bellew, via DAZN: “You can’t jump up the levels as quickly as that [to a world-title fight].
“You’ve got to go up bit by bit. You fight fringe contenders for a reason.”
Current world champion Jack Catterall: “I think it was a little bit premature, [Benn] was still ducking and diving.
“I think most of those last punches he blocked a little bit, but I think the writing was on the wall after that first round.”
Garcia speaks on victory
04:43 , Alex Pattle“I feel very... It’s surprising, I feel at peace.
“In my locker room, we were playing worship music the whole time, praising my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
“I’ve always had a right hand, but I’ve always had injuries. I’m just happy, man, I’m blessed.
“I wanna thank Conor for a great build-up, a great match.
“I’m blessed to fight on this day, Mexican Independence Day. I want to say a few words from my heart about this: I know some people don’t see me as Mexican because I don’t speak Spanish, but my heart never goes away from you guys.”
All respect after spiteful build-up
04:36 , Alex PattleBenn goes over to pay his respects to Garcia and the American’s father.
It’s good to see, after a spiteful build-up between the controversial stars.
Huge right hook
04:33 , Alex PattleThere were predictions that Benn could rush onto one of Garcia’s famous left hooks, but it was a HUGE right hook that got the job done.
And yes, Benn was coming in at the time, but he wasn’t super close.
GARCIA STOPS BENN IN ROUND TWO
04:31 , Alex PattleRound two
Benn shuffles forward quickly. Both men land at the same time. Good left hook by Garcia, but Benn is trying to overwhelm him.
Benn stumbles backwards, as he did in round one, but maybe from more of a push? Garcia then seems to be warned by the ref for doing exactly that.
Oh!!!!! Big right hand, and Benn goes down hard!!!!
He’s soon back on his feet, he beats the count, but is he on borrowed time??
Garcia is getting after him, Benn shoves him away. Huge shots from Garcia, but Benn holds well...
They separate, and there’s a hard body shot by Garcia, then a flurry up top, and the ref waves it off against the ropes!!
WOWWWWW.
Cracking opening round
04:28 , Alex PattleRound one
Both men stand orthodox. Benn takes the centre early. He’s clipped by Garcia’s famous check hook early, but eats it okay.
Oh, it lands again – this time on the top of the head – and Benn stumbles backwards slightly...
A one-two from Garcia now, and Benn looks a little unsteady on his feet. Still he presses forward, jabbing to the body then head.
Again Garcia tries that lead left hook. Really high pressure from Benn, really fast hands from Garcia – as expected in both cases.
Now two crosses get through for Garcia, but Benn fires back with a body shot! Fun, fun stuff this...
A hard flurry by Benn in the final seconds, too.
Garcia itching to go
04:21 , Alex PattleGarcia is hopping up and down. He salutes the crowd. He looks like he’s raring to go.
If he’s overzealous early on, that could actually suit Benn... Let’s see! We’ll find out IMMINENTLY.
Behind Benn stands his father Nigel, a true British boxing great, holding the Union Jack.
RING WALKS! Garcia emerges
04:20 , Alex PattleCheers as Garcia emerges to Mariachi music, while the colours of the Mexican flag flash around the arena.
It is Mexican Independence weekend, don’t you know? And here’s American Garcia paying tribute to his Mexican heritage.
He’s largely looking at the floor as he makes his walk. But he raises a half-and-half flag aloft as he reaches the ring, to the sound of cheers!
RING WALKS! Here comes Benn...
04:17 , Alex PattleBenn’s familiar walkout medley rings around T-Mobile Arena.
“Ready or not, here I come, you can’t hide...” gives way to “Dangerous”.
A few boos for the Briton. He looks pretty relaxed, but also keen to get going.
Tony Sims is in his corner as usual.
Exclusive interview: Benn on Paw Patrol, masculinity, and Garcia
04:13 , Alex PattleConor Benn is sat cross legged on a large red sofa, positioned in the corner of an apartment in Los Angeles. Leaning back, he feels a long way from the camera, so much so that I can’t be sure whether he’s sporting a slight black eye. I also can’t be sure whether the distance is intentional.
Maybe I’m imagining a slight frostiness in the opening seconds of our Zoom call; you can’t always be certain whether an athlete has read what you’ve written about them, and in Benn’s case, there has been criticism in these pages.
But any frost, real or imagined, quickly thaws in the California sun and through conversation.
Having written about the 30-year-old’s drug-test saga extensively (and having been in the room when Benn threatened to drag a journalist out by his neck), as well as his shocking split from promoter Eddie Hearn this year, I honestly feel we could both use some respite from the controversies.
Exclusive interview:
Conor Benn on Paw Patrol, masculinity, and the contradictions behind Ryan Garcia bout
Comment: A dark cloud hovers over Garcia vs Benn
04:08 , Alex PattleThe negative take on Bunce’s point – that Benn and Garcia aren’t the best welterweights in the world – is this: These are two fighters whose places in a bout of this magnitude are very questionable.
Garcia is defending the belt he won in May, and his title shot against Mario Barrios came within nine months of his previous outing: a loss to Rolly Romero with the WBA strap on the line, when “King Ryan” was dropped and outpointed.
Go back one fight further, and Garcia did drop Devin Haney three times en route to a stunning decision win, but this victory was reversed upon the revelation that the 28-year-old had failed a drug test (having missed weight pre-fight, too).
Garcia has always proclaimed his innocence, and one might argue that he did his time by serving a one-year ban. But how he went from failing a drug test to fighting for a world title on his comeback, to losing but fighting for another world title in his next bout, is frankly near-impossible to justify.
And then there’s Benn’s own drug-test saga...
A dark cloud lurks over Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn
Main event up next! Read Steve Bunce’s preview
04:04 , Alex PattleOne fight left, and it’s the one we’ve all been waiting for...
“Often in the boxing business, the best fights are not necessarily between the two best boxers at their weight – that is a longstanding truth,” Steve Bunce wrote in The Independent ahead of tonight’s card.
“Benn against Garcia will be exceptional, thrilling, ugly, controversial on the night, and a rematch looks likely. It is that type of fight. Still, it will be a lot of fun.”
Full preview:
The ugly fun of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn will confirm an old boxing truth
Opetaia and Benavidez face off in ring
04:01 , Alex PattleIt’s all respect as the two best cruiserweights in the world call for a fight against each other.
This is one of my most-anticipated fights in boxing today. There’s no way it doesn’t deliver.
Let’s hope it’s next for each man.
Opetaia vs Benavidez remains the dream at cruiserweight
03:55 , Alex PattleUP NEXT❓
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) September 13, 2026
David Benavidez is watching Jai Opetaia vs Noel Mikaelian from ringside 👀#GarciaBenn | Live NOW on @ParamountPlus and @DAZNBoxing 🥊 pic.twitter.com/6JlODLq9mh
Opetaia smashes Mikaelian in round nine!
03:52 , Alex PattleRound inne
Mikaelian is handed a standing count, after a brutal cluster of four hooks have him falling onto the ropes!!
The referee gets halfway through the count, but Mikaelian looks like he’s had enough...
And the ref waves it off!! Mikaelian is STOPPED for the first time!
Opetaia immediately checks to see if he’s okay.
Opetaia closing in on victory
03:48 , Alex PattleRound eight
Opetaia with a perfectly-timed left hook off the break, then a straight.
More good work from the Aussie in the clinch. He’s warned for veering too low, however, and Mikaelian takes a moment to recover.
Back under way, and Opetaia finds the right side of the belt line on a body shot this time.
Best round yet!
03:44 , Alex PattleRound seven
Opetaia presses forward and slings a cross to the body. Mikaelian skips away but is really struggling to defend himself properly now.
He comes back with a right that has Opetaia looking sheepish, though!
The pair then grapple and fall to the mat, wow!
Back up, and Mikaelian decides to go for broke... Opetaia ducks into a right hook that lands hard... This is a great spell for the underdog!
Opetaia starts to come on strong, however, changing angles nicely as he dials up his offence.
Huge right overhand by Mikaelian on the counter, before he eats a left cross.
Opetaia vs Mikaelian
03:39 , Alex PattleRound six
Mikaelian looks a little more static as we reach the midway point of this fight.
Will Opetaia surge clear now?
Back-and-forth round
03:36 , Alex PattleRound five
Mikaelian gets on the front foot and lets his hands go, but Opetaia soon fires back.
Both men alternate targets from head to body and back, with Opetaia working well in the clinch – especially with his uppercuts.
Mikaelian is timing his right hand well on the counter, though.
Opetaia dials it up
03:32 , Alex PattleRound four
Tremendous speed on display from Opetaia now.
A prolonged combination hurts Mikaelian, although the ref rules that the most-damaging punch landed below the belt.
Mikaelian gets a couple of seconds to recover, but that’s it.
Opetaia has found a new gear in this round, in any case.
He’s throwing spiteful hooks up top, and Mikaelian is breathing heavily as if he’s struggling with this pace and offence.
YET AGAIN Mikaelian lands after the bell. Can’t excuse this one.
Opetaia vs Mikaelian
03:28 , Alex PattleRound three
Opetaia is still punishing the body of Mikaelian, but picking the right moments to go up top, too.
Mikaelian is responding well, mind; he’s landed cleanly to the head of Opetaia multiple times in this round. The problem is, we know Opetaia has a good chin and that Mikaelian isn’t the biggest puncher.
Does that remove some of the jeopardy? Maybe.
Mikaelian with a hardddd cross after the bell! He gets a talking-to by the ref, given it’s the second round in a row that he’s done that. To be fair to him, I think he loaded up before the bell sounded.
Opetaia vs Mikaelian
03:23 , Alex PattleRound two
Opetaia continues to stalk forward, with Mikaelian circling away.
Opetaia with a left hook to the body and a right hook upstairs. A cross falls short for Mikaelian.
Opetaia lands another couple of brutal body shots at close range.
Decent right cross from Mikaelian, who covers a fair bit of distance to land it, before unloading a few short rights in the clinch.
He apologises for carrying on slightly past the bell.
Opetaia vs Mikaelian
03:19 , Alex PattleRound one
Mikaelian stands orthodox, while Opetaia is southpaw.
Opetaia pistons two early crosses at the German – one to the head and one to the body.
Mikaelian with a couple of shots that have Opetaia stumbling backwards slightly, though.
Opetaia with a pair of hooks in the clinch, after a messy entry that sees him get clipped once or twice. There’s also a clash of heads, and Opetaia’s eye is already swelling...
Decent left hook from Opetaia, who then holds Mikaelian and unleashes some rights to the body.
Opetaia and Mikaelian in the ring
03:14 , Alex PattleHere we go. Can Opetaia stay unbeaten? Can he improve his legacy even without an established title* on the line tonight? Is a heavyweight move next?
The Aussie, 31, faces 35-year-old German Mikaelian here, in what would have been a decent unification bout – if not for the circumstances laid out below.
*no, The Independent does not recognise The Ring magazine’s title as a real title, I’m afraid!
Why is Zuffa Boxing so controversial?
03:09 , Alex PattleZuffa Boxing, launched by UFC chief Dana White and Saudi official Turki Alalshikh, is a controversial addition to the boxing landscape.
White has been bullish about his desire to crush the existing promoters in this sport, and Alalshikh has had the money to help White, but Zuffa is in a strange spot.
It has signed some big names – including Opetaia and, controversially, Benn from Matchroom – but the belt situation is confusing.
You have Opetaia wanting to be undisputed champion by collecting all the traditional belts, yet Zuffa is trying to replace those titles with its own...
But Benn is fighting for the WBC strap on a Zuffa show tonight...
Jai Opetaia defends Zuffa belt vs Noel Mikaelian next
03:00 , Alex PattleThe acrimonious Opetaia saga continues next.
After he was stripped of the IBF cruiserweight belt following his Zuffa title win, now it’s Mikaelian who is suffering from his own move to Zuffa.
Mikaelian’s promoter Don King sent a legal letter this week, saying Zuffa should not be able to promote Mikaelian here – and saying the WBC will not sanction the German’s fight tonight.
As such, it seems it’ll just be Opetaia’s Zuffa title on the line.
Chaotic heavyweight bout ends in one round!
02:50 , Alex PattleAkpejiori is HUGE. A very tall man. But also a very wobbly man, early on! !
Vanhouter times a wonderful cross, and a hook not long thereafter has Akpeijori in real trouble... A good combination now, and down goes Akjpeijori to a knee!
He beats the ref’s count, but is he on borrowed time?
There’s some grappling, and... what on earth? Vanhouter drops down now, and it appears he’s tweaked his shoulder!! Has it come out of its socket?
He stands, though, and he will box on! Remarkable scenes already...
OH!!! Within seconds of the restart, Vanhouter wipes out Akpeijori.
One of the strangest fights you’ll ever see. The perfect way to pick up the action before Optetaia, Benn and Garcia take to the ring for their fights.
02:43 , Alex PattleAnna Woolhouse is hosting from the DAZN studio tonight, a couple of months after we interviewed her.
“For some of the bigger pay-per-views, if I actually sat and thought about how many people were watching, I probably wouldn’t go on air,” she told us.
“You just feel like you’re talking to one camera and people’s living rooms.
“When you first start out, there are definite ‘God, I’m going to be sick’ nerves. But I guess over the years, you use that to find a kind of fun.”
Full interview:
Anna Woolhouse: ‘If I thought about the number of viewers, I wouldn’t go on air!’
Undercard results so far
02:37 , Alex PattleAndres Cortes def. Mark Magsayo via unanimous decision
Oswaldo Molina def. Pablo Rubio via unanimous decision
Alexis Rocha def. Jose Carlos Ramirez via unanimous decision
Abel Gonzalez def. Raul Salomonv via unanimous decision
Vlad Panin def. Dakota Linger via fourth-round TKO
Sean Garcia def. Abraham Morales via majority decision
Cortes wins as undercard builds
02:28 , Alex PattleAndres Cortes def. Mark Magsayo via unanimous decision (97-93, 97-93, 97-93)
A merciful end to a poor bout!
More from Benn in conversation with Indy Sport
02:21 , Alex PattleSpeaking to The Independent as part of a wide-ranging interview, Benn said: “I’m not saying that I dislike [Garcia] or hate him, it’s not a Chris Eubank Jr situation.
“[But] you haven’t got to like everyone, have you? We’re just not the same. My pillars are very different to his. Mine’s family, working hard, choosing the hard way, because the hard way pays off later on.
“He’s one of these Gen Z kids, ‘kid-men’ who want an easy life. I’m just not wired that way. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion is my sort of mindset.”
Carl Froch’s warning to Benn over weight-cut
01:31 , Alex Pattle“I don’t know how Conor beats him at this weight, at 147lb,” former world champion Carl Froch told The Sun, “because he didn’t look like a big puncher at 150lb, 154lb, whatever. Now he’s down at 147lb, he looks like a boiled chicken.
“He looks like Gollum – you know, all drained and scrawny, like he’s gonna snap. And he’s gonna go in there with Ryan Garcia, who’s really lightning fast, good counter-puncher, can punch like f***. I mean, he’s gonna hurt [Benn].
“Hopefully Conor Benn took the weight off, he’s had a session [...] down at that weight, but it can be dangerous. If he’s dehydrated and took that fluid off his brain – that synovial fluid and all that – it could be dangerous.
“He’s not punching hard, I don’t think, down below 160lb. And his punch resistance... we’re gonna find out, because [Garcia] will clip him with a hook on the way in.
“He’ll leap in, Conor will, leave his feet behind – because he’ll be all eager – and he’ll walk onto a hook. If he can take that, he’s got a chance in the fight, but if he starts wobbling early doors, he won’t get past four rounds.”
Who is the favourite in Benn vs Garcia?
Sunday 13 September 2026 00:47 , Alex PattleGarcia – 3/10
Benn –5/2
Draw – 16/1
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How can I watch Garcia vs Benn tonight?
Sunday 13 September 2026 00:41 , Alex PattleGarcia vs Benn and its undercard will stream live on DAZN in the UK and in most countries worldwide – at a pay-per-view cost of £24.99, or as part of the Ultimate Tier, which costs £24.99 a month.
You can purchase the pay-per-view here, which also allows eight free days of DAZN Standard.
In the US, Paramount+ will stream the action. The Independent will also provide live updates on fight night.
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn LIVE: Welcome!
Sunday 13 September 2026 00:28 , Alex PattleTonight, Conor Benn fights for a world title for the first time, as he challenges Ryan Garcia for the WBC welterweight belt in Las Vegas.
The bout pits one of America’s most-divisive stars against one of Britain’s, with both having navigated drug-test controversies in recent years.
After failing a test in 2024, Garcia served a one-year ban, before winning the WBC title this February by dropping and outpointing Mario Barrios. Garcia, 28, maintained his innocence throughout the saga.
Benn, 29, also insisted he was innocent during his episode, but was provisionally suspended from boxing in the UK between 2022 and 2024. After he was cleared, he traded wins with bitter foe Chris Eubank Jr, before beating former world champion Regis Prograis in April. Still, when he fights Garcia, the Briton will be boxing at welterweight for the first time in two-and-a-half years.
Follow live updates and results from Garcia vs Benn and the undercard, right here.
