Garcia Defends WBC Welterweight Title with Second-Round TKO of Benn
Ryan Garcia retained his WBC welterweight championship by stopping Conor Benn in the second round of their Las Vegas bout, while the undercard featured several stoppage victories.
Ryan Garcia retained the WBC welterweight title on Saturday night in Las Vegas, halting Conor Benn at 1:25 of the second round. The 26-year-old landed a decisive right hand that sent Benn to the canvas, followed by a flurry that prompted referee Thomas Taylor to stop the contest. The sold-out arena held 18,855 spectators.
"I kind of figured he would just come at me crazy," Garcia said, describing his expectations of Benn’s approach. "Second round, I said I’m tired of him coming forward; I’m gonna stand my ground a little bit ... and then he got caught with a hellacious one."
Garcia added that Benn needed more patience and experience, expressing respect for the English challenger despite the loss.
The victory solidified Garcia’s standing in the 147-pound division and set up potential future matchups with top welterweights such as Teofimo Lopez or Devin Haney, both of whom were in attendance. Benn, who was taken to a hospital for observation, may consider returning to the middleweight class.
The co-main event saw unbeaten cruiserweight Jai Opetaia stop Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round after a series of powerful punches. In the heavyweight undercard, Da’Mazion Vanhouter knocked out Raphael Akpejiori in the first round, while lightweight Andres Cortes retained his belt with a unanimous decision over Mark Magsayo.