Conor Benn has described the struggle to make the welterweight limit for his upcoming world title bout against Ryan Garcia as feeling like being “dragged down to the pits of hell.” Despite the challenge, Benn remains confident that he is healthy and will successfully hit the required weight. The 29-year-old faces WBC champion Garcia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this Saturday, marking the first world title fight in Benn’s decade-long professional career.
Benn must weigh no more than 10 stone 7 pounds (67 kg) when he steps on the scales on Friday, a limit he hasn’t met in over four years. “Making weight has been the toughest thing I’ve done,” Benn admitted to BBC Sport. “It feels like I’ve fought hell and back. But I won’t complain when I’m headlining in Vegas with a huge payday. I know exactly what I signed up for.”
He last made welterweight in April 2022 during a swift victory over Chris van Heerden but has been fighting at a higher weight, around 11 stone 6 pounds (73 kg), in recent lucrative bouts against Chris Eubank Jr., including a loss and subsequent redemption. In contrast, Garcia described his own weight cut as “easy peasy, lemon squeezy,” suggesting that Benn is currently off weight due to his appearance, which some say looks “puffy.”
Concerns have been raised by boxing figures such as former world champion Carl Froch and past opponent Chris Algieri about how the drastic weight cut could impact Benn, especially given his aggressive fighting style versus Garcia’s quick hands and sharp counter left hook. Benn, however, dismisses these worries, claiming he is in good health and expects to rehydrate post-weigh-in to about 12 stone 7 pounds (80 kg), roughly two stones above the welterweight limit.
Should Benn fulfill his dream and claim the world title, he plans to vacate it immediately and move back up to middleweight or even super-middleweight, focusing on new challenges rather than staying long at welterweight. “Life is about challenges; otherwise, it’s boring,” he said.
Despite the pressure of the moment, Benn appeared calm and upbeat during media duties in Las Vegas, accompanied by his father, British boxing legend Nigel Benn. However, Benn has yet to meet Garcia face-to-face, as the champion skipped a scheduled face-off event, a move Benn called unprofessional and a disservice to fans. Garcia explained that he prefers to focus on training and sees no need for multiple stare-downs, confident that his skills will prevail regardless of psychological tactics.
At the weigh-in, Benn humorously squared off with his 62-year-old father instead. Nigel has been a constant presence during the fight week, despite having previously suggested he might take a step back from his son’s career. Conor described Garcia as a “strange geezer” for missing the face-off but insisted it won’t affect his readiness. He emphasized that, despite the tough weight cut, they owe it to the fans to deliver an exciting fight.
Fan Take: This fight means a lot for the welterweight division, bringing together two contrasting styles and generating high interest worldwide. Benn’s tough weight cut and Garcia’s confidence set the stage for a dramatic showdown that could reshape the sport’s landscape and excite fight fans craving intense, skillful matchups.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
