Ryan Garcia confirmed his first WBC welterweight title defense will come against Conor Benn on September 12 in Las Vegas, breaking the news on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday.

“I can say that we are fighting September 12th; it’ll be in Vegas,” Garcia told Fallon. “The opponent, let’s just say he’s from the other side. He’s across the pond. I’ll just say his name just ’cause I love this show. His name is Conor Benn. And he’s talking a lot, he’s talking crazy.”

How Garcia and Benn Got Here

Garcia, 27, captured the WBC welterweight belt in February with a unanimous decision over Mario Barrios, scoring a first-round knockdown on his way to a wide scorecard victory. Benn, 25-1 (14 KOs), is the WBC’s mandatory challenger at 147 pounds and returned to the win column on April 26 with a unanimous decision over former 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis.

The bout will be Benn’s first world title fight in his 26th professional outing. Before his recent main-event run, Benn held the WBA Continental welterweight title from 2018 to 2022, with notable wins over former champions Chris Algieri, Samuel Vargas and Chris van Heerden.

The Personal Angle

Garcia framed the matchup as a grudge fight, recounting a run-in with Benn at an awards show two years ago. “He pressed up on me, grabbed me, so it’s a little personal,” Garcia said on the broadcast, per Sky Sports. “I’m going to really put a whopping on this man, and we will send him back to the UK sipping on some tea.”

Zuffa Boxing and the Promotional Picture

Benn signed a multi-year, multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing earlier this year. Zuffa Boxing president Dana White told Sky Sports he was open to making the fight: “Obviously, I am about making the biggest fights you can possibly make. All these kids that are fighting with us see it the same way.”

Benn told Sky Sports last month that Garcia was “the priority” but added that he had other offers if the bout failed to come together. “I am in the No 1 position for that belt and I have worked extremely hard to get to that position. If Ryan doesn’t want it, there are plenty of fish out there,” Benn said.

The September 12 date overlaps with one Riyadh Season had been targeting for Canelo Alvarez’s return against WBC super middleweight titleholder Christian Mbilli. With details on both cards still being finalized, the calendar could shift.