Professional boxer Ryan Garcia retained his World Boxing Council welterweight title Saturday night after scoring a second-round knockout victory against Conor Benn at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The 28-year-old fighter, widely known by his nickname KingRy, improved his record to 26 victories and two losses with 21 knockouts following the victory.
Benn suffered the second defeat of his professional career, dropping to 25 wins and two losses with 14 knockouts.
Following his victory, Garcia declared his ambition to unify the 147-pound division by challenging fellow champion Teofimo Lopez Jr..
Lopez holds the World Boxing Association welterweight title after securing a decision win against Rolando Romero late last month.
The 29-year-old Lopez previously lost his World Boxing Organization junior welterweight belt to Shakur Stevenson in January before moving up.
Lopez attended the pre-fight press conference in disguise and watched Garcia’s victory from ringside.
Evaluating the prospective unification matchup, Garcia questioned the defensive capability of his fellow champion.
Pointing out defensive flaws in his opponent, Garcia said, “I think he’s weak in his defense”.
Critiquing public perception of Lopez, Garcia said, “I think that people kind of overrate his defense”.
Assessing his offensive opportunities, Garcia said, “I think that he’s much easier to hit than people think he is”.
Expressing complete confidence in securing a stoppage, Garcia said, “And I think that I will knock him out”.
Describing his power, Garcia said, “I think that my punch is heavy, and once I crack him, I think that he’ll stumble and I’ll get him out of there”.
Discussing contract negotiations, Garcia pointed to shared broadcast ties on DAZN as an advantage.
Expressing optimism about reaching an agreement, Garcia said, “I think he’s interested in the fight, so I don’t think it’s going to be too hard”.
Summarizing the negotiation outlook, Garcia said, “That is one of the easier ones to get made”.
Beyond Lopez, Garcia addressed a potential future rematch with World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Devin Haney.
Haney, 27, holds a record of 33 victories and zero losses with 15 knockouts after winning his belt against Brian Norman Jr. in November.
Garcia previously defeated Haney in April 2024, but the outcome was later changed to a no-contest following a positive test for ostarine.
Offering condolences following the death of Haney’s mother in August, Garcia said, “Devin’s going through a hard time right now; rest in peace to his mom”.
Setting a realistic timeframe for discussions, Garcia said, “I don’t think it’ll happen in the next seven, eight months, to be real”.
Garcia also discussed former opponent Gervonta Davis, who handed Garcia his first loss in April 2023 with a seventh-round knockout in a 136-pound catchweight bout.
That high-profile bout generated 1.2 million pay-per-view purchases and more than $22 million in ticket sales.
Davis, 31, holds a 30-0-1 record with 28 knockouts but has remained inactive since March 2025 while navigating legal issues.
Encouraging Davis to return to competition, Garcia said, “He needs to get back into the ring”.
Praising the draw of the former champion, Garcia said, “He’s a really huge player who adds to boxing and makes the sport more fun, so I would love to see him back”.
Setting terms for a potential rematch, trainer Henry Garcia stated that negotiations must favor their camp.
Demanding leverage in talks, Henry Garcia said, “First of all, Tank would have to accept a fight on our conditions”.
Refusing weight concessions, Henry Garcia said, “He would need to come to us because we’re not going to be giving away any advantages anymore, as we have previously”.
Turning to WBO junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson, who holds a 25-0 record with 11 knockouts, Garcia insisted any fight take place at 147 pounds.
Stevenson has claimed titles in four weight classes and signed with Zuffa Boxing in July.
Stipulating weight terms, Garcia said, “He needs to gain weight”.
Challenging contenders to move up, Garcia said, “They’re going to have to make their moves, come to 147, and let’s get it on, give the fans what they want”.
Confirming their firm stance, Henry Garcia said, “You have to come to us”.
Closing on division commitment, Henry Garcia said, “He knows that 147 is his weight class, and he’s going to be on this for a while”.