A devastating right hand completed García’s first defence of the WBC welterweight title.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Ryan Garcia retained his WBC welterweight championship with a dominant second-round stoppage of Britain’s Conor Benn at T-Mobile Arena. The American dropped his challenger early in the round before forcing referee Thomas Taylor to end the contest after one minute and 25 seconds.
Benn attempted to apply pressure from the opening bell, but García controlled the distance and quickly identified openings in his opponent’s defence. A powerful right hand sent Benn to the canvas in the second round. Although the British fighter beat the count, García immediately resumed the attack with a sustained combination that left him struggling to respond.
The referee’s intervention generated some debate because Benn remained standing and appeared conscious when the fight was stopped. Nevertheless, he did not protest the decision and later acknowledged García’s superiority. The defeat was Benn’s first by stoppage and raised questions about the difficult return to the 147-pound welterweight limit after previously competing at heavier weights.
The victory represented García’s first successful defence since defeating Mario Barrios by unanimous decision to win the WBC title. It also delivered his first stoppage victory since 2023, strengthening his position in a division containing several commercially attractive champions and unresolved rivalries.
After the fight, García confronted Teófimo López, who was watching from ringside, and declared that he could defeat him immediately. He also expressed interest in facing WBO champion Devin Haney again. García’s 2024 victory over Haney was changed to a no-contest following a positive test for ostarine, leaving their rivalry without a definitive sporting conclusion. A unification bout with López or a rematch against Haney could now become one of boxing’s most prominent events.
Victory settles one contest while ambition immediately creates another.