Fight week for the highly anticipated WBC Welterweight World Championship showdown between champion Ryan "KingRy" Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) and British mandatory challenger Conor "The Destroyer" Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) kicked off with immediate drama on Wednesday, after Garcia pulled a surprise no-show at the scheduled kickoff face-off in Las Vegas.
The blockbuster bout, set for this Saturday, September 12 at the T-Mobile Arena on Mexican Independence Day weekend, is headlined by Zuffa Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions, streaming live globally on Paramount+ and DAZN PPV.
Benn Calls Out No-Show; Garcia Fires Back From Sauna
With media and fans gathered for the opening fight week face-off, Benn was left standing on stage alone. In a theatrical twist, Benn engaged in a mock face-off with his father, British boxing legend Nigel Benn, before taking the microphone to criticize the champion.
"I apologize for Ryan doing what Ryan does and bottling it," Benn told the crowd. "We turn up, we’re here, ready for the face-off. Come Saturday, he's in for a war."
Garcia quickly took to social media to explain his absence, posting clips playing video games while taking a jab at his opponent:
"Nice relaxing time as Conor wastes time showing up to a face-off," Garcia posted online. "Back to the sauna you go, sausage getting cooked every way."
Despite Garcia's casual demeanor online, social media observers and pundits were quick to speculate whether the champion is struggling with his weight cut down to the 147-pound limit, pointing out a drawn-out appearance during early media day scrums.
Both fighters have faced severe weight-management questions heading into Saturday. Benn is making his return to the welterweight limit for the first time since 2022 after competing at higher weights, while Garcia is making his first title defense since capturing the WBC strap against Mario Barrios in February.
Tyson Weighs In as Staredown Shifted to Thursday
Adding to the fight week buzz, former heavyweigt king Mike Tyson shared his thoughts on the matchup during a FightHype interview, picking Garcia to retain his title while offering a warning regarding Benn’s evolution:
"Ryan," Tyson said when asked for a winner. "We'll see [if he can knock him out]. Conor's getting better."
With the initial face-off scrapped, both fighters will meet face-to-face for the first time during fight week at Thursday evening's final pre-fight press conference, followed by Friday's official ceremonial weigh-in.
Fight Week Details
Bout: Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn (12 Rounds – WBC World Welterweight Championship)
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Co-Main Event: Jai Opetaia vs. Noel Mikaelian (Ring Magazine & Zuffa Cruiserweight Championship)
Broadcast: Paramount+ (US) / DAZN PPV (UK/Global)
Comments
Share your thoughts on the above article by NewsHub @ PhilBoxing.