JAKARTA - British boxer Conor Benn finally got his first chance in his career to fight for a world title.
He is scheduled to face WBC welterweight world champion Ryan Garcia at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, United States, on September 12, 2026.
Benn, who is currently 29 years old, has been the WBC's number one challenger since December last year despite last fighting in the welterweight class in February 2024.
Meanwhile, Garcia will defend his first title after capturing the WBC belt after defeating Mario Barrios in February 2026.
The Mexican-American boxer is expected to get a big boost because the duel takes place on the weekend ahead of Mexico's Independence Day celebrations.
The fight is also one of the big projects of Zuffa Boxing - Benn's new promoter backed by UFC boss Dana White and investment from Saudi Arabia.
"So far they have been taunting each other on social media and this fight will be amazing," Dana White said, quoted by BBC Sport.
Garcia comes with a record of 25 wins from 28 professional fights. He suffered two defeats and one match was a no contest. His career was halted for one year in the period 2024 to 2025 due to a penalty after failing a doping test.
On the other hand, Benn has also been sidelined for a year due to a doping case. The British boxer has only lost once in 26 professional fights throughout his career.
Rumors of a Garcia-Benn duel have actually been floating since May 2026 when Garcia announced it on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. However, Garcia's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, denied negotiations a month later.
The two then appeared together on stage during the weigh-in ceremony ahead of UFC 329 last week, which further strengthened the certainty of the fight.
Benn last fought in the welterweight division more than two years ago when he beat Peter Dobson via a split decision in Las Vegas.
After that, he moved up two divisions to fight two fights against Chris Eubank Jr. in the middleweight before defeating Regis Prograis in April 2026 in a catchweight match that took place three pounds over the welterweight limit.
Benn left Matchroom in February 2026 and signed a one-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing. His performance then led the promoter to tie him to a long-term contract for several subsequent fights.
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