Ryan Garcia stops Conor Benn in second round to retain WBC welterweight title
Ryan Garcia retained his WBC welterweight championship with a second-round stoppage of Conor Benn in Las Vegas on September 12, then called for a unification fight with Teófimo López.
In short
- Ryan Garcia retained his WBC welterweight championship with a second-round stoppage of Conor Benn in Las Vegas on September 12, then called for a unification fight with Teófimo López.
Ryan Garcia retained the WBC welterweight title by stopping Conor Benn in the second round at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 12, 2026.
Referee Thomas Taylor ended the contest one minute and 25 seconds into the round, according to The Guardian’s ringside report. Garcia had knocked Benn down with a right hand and followed up after the challenger regained his feet.
Benn opened aggressively, pressing Garcia and attacking the body. The champion found the decisive counter as Benn moved forward in the second round, then forced the intervention with further punches.
The victory completed Garcia’s first defence of the belt he won against Mario Barrios in February. The World Boxing Council had confirmed before the contest that the September 12 bout would be Garcia’s first defence, with Benn challenging for the championship at 147 pounds.
After the fight, Garcia identified Teófimo López as his preferred next opponent for a title unification. That was a challenge from the champion, not an announcement of an agreed bout.
For Benn, the defeat ended this attempt to win the welterweight championship. He acknowledged Garcia’s victory in a social-media message after the contest, according to The Guardian.
