Conor Benn will challenge WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia for the world title on 12 September, with the bout set to headline a major boxing event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The fight marks the first world championship opportunity of Benn’s professional career. The 29-year-old Briton was elevated to the top spot in the WBC welterweight rankings in December, despite not competing at the weight since February 2024.
Garcia, 27, claimed the WBC title by defeating Mario Barrios in February and will be making the first defence of his championship.
The contest will also be Benn’s debut under Zuffa Boxing, the promotion backed by UFC president Dana White and Saudi Arabian investment. White welcomed the matchup, pointing to the long-running exchanges between the two fighters on social media and predicting an entertaining contest.
Garcia, an American of Mexican heritage, is set to defend his belt during the weekend leading into Mexican Independence Day celebrations, traditionally one of the biggest weekends on the boxing calendar.
Both fighters enter the bout after controversial periods away from the ring. Garcia owns a professional record of 25 wins, two defeats and one no-contest, having served a one-year suspension between 2024 and 2025 following a failed drug test. Benn also spent a year out of boxing amid his own doping case and has compiled a record of 25 victories with a single defeat.
Although Garcia publicly announced the fight during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in May, his promoter Oscar De La Hoya later said negotiations had not yet taken place. The matchup was further fuelled last week when Garcia and Benn appeared together during the ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC 329.
Benn has not fought at the welterweight limit for more than two years. His last appearance at the weight came in Las Vegas, where he earned a points victory over Peter Dobson. Since then, he stepped up two divisions for consecutive middleweight bouts against Chris Eubank Jr before returning closer to his natural class with a catchweight win over Regis Prograis in April, contested three pounds above the welterweight limit.
After leaving Matchroom earlier this year, Benn initially signed a one-fight agreement with Zuffa Boxing before committing to a longer-term multi-fight deal. Speaking to BBC Sport in April, Benn described Garcia as “good for boxing” while also calling him “a liability,” adding another layer of intrigue ahead of their long-awaited clash in Las Vegas.