Benn Says September 12 Will Be His Final Welterweight Fight

Conor Benn is making the welterweight cut one more time, and he has already decided it will be the last.

In the thick of his training camp for the September 12 WBC welterweight title fight against Ryan Garcia, Benn addressed the physical reality of the weight cut in an interview — and drew a line under his time at 147 pounds regardless of how the night ends.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to Garcia vs. Benn on Ticketmaster →

"It's hard, it's brutal. This is my last fight at 147. When I win the world title, I'll move on. I haven't made 147 for four years, so it's challenging,” Benn

Benn's two fights with Chris Eubank Jr. took place at a catch weight considerably above the welterweight limit — he went up to 183 pounds for those contests. Coming back down to 147 after four years away from the division, with a body that has naturally settled at a heavier weight, is a significant physical undertaking. The candor about how brutal the cut has been is notable mid-camp, when most fighters prefer to project ease and confidence.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to Garcia vs. Benn on Ticketmaster →

The fight's arrival surprised people who had watched the promotional complications drag on. Benn signed with Zuffa, and the relationship between Dana White and Golden Boy's Oscar De La Hoya — who has Garcia under contract — has been publicly strained. That the two sides found common ground to make the fight under Zuffa Boxing represents a commercial pragmatism that overrode the personal friction.

Garcia comes in having won the WBC belt in February with a unanimous decision over Mario Barrios — a victory he needed after his 2025 loss to Rolando Romero. Twelve rounds, full distance, title secured.

Benn, meanwhile, avenged his only professional loss by defeating Chris Eubank Jr. in their rematch in 2025, then followed it with a win over Regis Prograis in April. Both men arrive with momentum, though Garcia has been the more pointed about his assessment of his opponent — rating Benn's boxing skills a one out of ten in the buildup.

Benn's response to the ratings has been to focus on the weight cut and the mission. He wants the world title. He has made clear the price he is paying to get to fight night. Whether the 147-pound version of Benn at his best is good enough to take the belt from Garcia is the question September 12 will answer.