Frank Warren Makes Conor Benn a 'Massive Underdog' Against Ryan Garcia

Conor Benn gets his shot at a world title on September 12, jumping back down to welterweight to challenge WBC champion Ryan Garcia. It's one of the biggest fights on the 2026 calendar. Frank Warren has already made up his mind on who wins, and it isn't the Brit.

Warren, speaking to Playbook Boxing, called Benn a 'massive underdog' and said you have to make Garcia a heavy favourite. His logic is simple: Benn (25-1, 14 KO) hasn't fought at genuine elite level yet, while Garcia (25-2, 20 KO) has the belt and the résumé. Warren pointed to Benn's two 2025 bouts with Chris Eubank Jr — a 36-year-old who, in Warren's view, has never operated at the very top — as proof the CV is thinner than the hype suggests.

The Road Back to 147

Benn's last outing at welterweight was more than four years ago, an April 2022 stoppage of Chris van Heerden that had him knocking on the door of a title. Then came the aborted Eubank fight, a failed drugs test, and a career that stalled hard. He rebuilt at middleweight in 2025, losing to Eubank before avenging it — the first defeat of his professional life, then the correction.

This year has been a full reset. Benn cut ties with career-long promoter Eddie Hearn, signed with Zuffa Boxing, and returned in April at a 150lb catchweight against Regis Prograis, winning a unanimous decision. Now he's making the full drop back to 147 for the Garcia fight.

What's Actually at Stake

Garcia is coming off his own unanimous-decision win over Mario Barrios, and he'll walk in as champion with the higher knockout rate — 20 of his 25 wins by stoppage against Benn's 14 of 25. On paper, Warren's read holds up. On the night, styles and nerves tend to have their own opinions.

One more wrinkle: Benn has said this is his welterweight swansong regardless of result, with plans to campaign at super-welterweight or middleweight afterward. So whatever happens on September 12, he's not sticking around at 147. Beat Garcia and he leaves as a world champion. Lose, and the underdog tag Warren hung on him looks a lot more like a verdict.