Conor Benn ready to fight Ryan Garcia ‘whenever he comes out of hiding’
Jun 14, 2026 • 11:00 AM ET
Mark RobinsonConor Benn has reiterated his desire to challenge WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.
Benn, who has not boxed at 147lbs for several years, is the WBC’s No. 1 at the weight and it looked as though he was a lock to fight Garcia later this year.
But with the apparent issues between Golden Boy/DAZN, who represent Garcia, and Benn’s Zuffa Boxing backers, the proposed match is losing steam.
Speaking at a TKO event in Washington DC, Benn said he was sorry to be missing the induction of his father, Nigel, into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday, but that he was pleased to be in DC, where he will watch the UFC event on the White House lawn.
“The goal for me is to get the WBC world title,” said Benn. “It’s a belt I’ve dreamed of achieving since I was a kid. It’s the belt my dad won, and Ryan, I’m taking it and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Benn was then asked when the fight might happen.
The Essex man is 25-1 (14 KOs) and last boxed winning a decision over Regis Prograis in April.
Now 29, Benn said: “When am I fighting Garcia? When he fights his pen and whenever he comes out from wherever he’s hiding… He can get the smoke no problem. He’s getting smashed to pieces whenever he signs the contract.”
Garcia is 25-2 (20 KOs) and is yet to defend the title he won against Mario Barrios in February.
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
