Conor Benn has spoken, and he is not looking for a way out of it.
Ryan Garcia knocked Benn out in the second round at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday to retain the WBC welterweight title. The first clean right hand Garcia landed put Benn on his knees, and the referee stepped in shortly after. Benn posted on X a few hours later.
Not my night, no excuses. Ryan Garcia, you’re a great champion.
He was taken to hospital afterwards. Dana White said at the post-fight press conference that it was precautionary and that he sends anyone who has had a hard night.
Yes, we’re gonna send Conor to the hospital, yes. He was just back here now, I don’t know if he went already or not but yeah, we’re definitely gonna send him. I don’t mess with that stuff, man, I think everyone who had a rough fight or got knocked out or whatever should go to hospital.
25 years in the UFC we’ve never had a death or serious injury, we wanna keep that record going in boxing.
The stoppage drew some argument. Benn appeared to still have his senses when the referee moved in, though he had already been dropped and was taking shots.
The weight was the story all week and then stopped being one. Both men made the limit comfortably, Benn at 146lbs and Garcia at 145.5lbs, after Benn had spent the build describing the cut as brutal. It was his first fight at 147 since April 2022, and he had fought both Chris Eubank Jr. bouts at 160.
Benn had said before the fight that he was moving back up in weight afterwards regardless of the result. That plan presumably stands.
