Ryan Garcia has announced that he will defend his WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn on September 12 in Las Vegas.
Garcia confirmed the fight during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, revealing Benn as his next opponent and making clear that there is already tension between them.
“He’s from across the pond,” Garcia said. “I’ll just say his name: Conor Benn. He’s talking a lot.”
Garcia also recalled an incident from an awards show two years ago, claiming Benn grabbed him and made the matchup personal. “I’m going to really put a whopping on this man,” Garcia said, “and we will send him back to the UK sipping on some tea.”
Garcia won the WBC welterweight title in February by defeating Mario Barrios by wide unanimous decision, dropping him in the opening round.
Benn recently defeated Regis Prograis by unanimous decision after signing a multi-year deal with Zuffa Boxing. As the WBC’s No. 1 contender, he had already made clear that Garcia was his priority.
Image Credit: BBC