Conor Benn rules out Lopez unification after Ryan Garcia fight

Conor Benn says his WBC welterweight title challenge against Ryan Garcia will be his final fight at 147lbs, effectively closing down the prospect of a unification with Teofimo Lopez if he wins this Saturday.

Benn is due to challenge Garcia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Garcia will make the first defence of the WBC title he won by dropping and outpointing Mario Barrios in February. The British contender has now made clear that any reign at welterweight would be brief, with his focus already shifting far beyond 147lbs.

Benn plans immediate move up

The timing matters because Lopez recently moved into the welterweight title picture by taking the WBA belt from Rolando Romero, and his manager Keith Connolly, who also represents Lopez, is attempting to steer him past a mandatory obligation against Jack Catterall towards a bigger fight. One option under consideration has been the Garcia-Benn winner, alongside fellow champions Devin Haney and Liam Paro, but Benn’s own comments leave little room for that route.

Benn has not fought at welterweight since stopping Chris van Heerden inside two rounds in April 2022. Speaking to Ring Magazine about returning to the division, he admitted the cut has been difficult but said he has no complaints.

“It’s hard, it is brutal, but we are getting it done,” Benn said. “I’m getting paid handsomely. I’m fighting for a world title and headlining a mega fight in Las Vegas. What is there to moan about? Yes, it is taking a piece out of my soul and my spirit to get down in weight; yes, it is excruciating, but it’s part of the job.”

Benn also made clear that any discussion about remaining at welterweight beyond this fight will be short-lived.

“There’s no excuses, it’s just my last fight at 147[lbs] to dominate, get the belt and move on,” he said. “Then [I’ll move up to] 168[lbs]. Yeah, I won’t be doing 154[lbs]. No way… This was always going to be my last fight at 147[lbs].

“It’s for the WBC world title. I wanted a world title shot at the weight I started my career at. I sidetracked with the Eubank fight, but all roads have led back to this.”

Benn’s path back to a welterweight title shot has been anything but direct. He had been expected to face Chris Eubank Jnr in a catchweight fight in October 2022 before it emerged that he had failed two PED tests five weeks apart in the build-up, and he later boxed Rodolfo Orozco and Peter Dobson in the United States while attempting to clear his name.

After a costly legal process resulted in him being permitted to fight in the UK again, Benn met Eubank at middleweight in April 2025 and lost over 12 rounds. Their rematch followed seven months later, again at 160lbs, with Benn widely outpointing Eubank over the championship distance. Eubank complained before both fights about the contracted weight limit and rehydration clauses.

Benn’s team then persuaded the WBC last December to install him as mandatory contender at welterweight, though the reasons for that decision have never been made clear. He later joined Zuffa Boxing, having previously been guided by Matchroom, and defeated Regis Prograis in April while weighing 149.5lbs.

Garcia enters the fight after a sharp turnaround of his own. His win over Barrios followed a points defeat to Romero in May 2025, which came after a year-long doping ban, and the WBC champion is widely viewed as having produced a much-improved performance to win the title.

If Benn defeats Garcia and follows through on his plan to leave the division, the WBC title would be expected to become vacant rather than move into a unification with Lopez. The sanctioning body would then be left to determine which contenders fight for the belt.

For now, Benn’s immediate task is making 147lbs and attempting to take Garcia’s title in Las Vegas. What follows may be less about defending a welterweight belt than how quickly he can turn a victory into a move up the scales, with Lopez and the rest of the division forced to look elsewhere if Benn keeps to his plan.