Ryan Garcia made it clear that he has no regrets about skipping Tuesday's scheduled face‑off with Conor Benn, even finding it amusing to watch the British contender act as though he were confronting his own father, Nigel. The American boxer is gearing up for the inaugural defense of his WBC welterweight crown against Benn, a showdown set for Saturday night at the T‑Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The two fighters were originally slated to meet for a media event at the Mandalay Bay Hotel earlier in the week, but Garcia simply did not appear.
Benn, visibly irritated, later accused his opponent of "bottling it" and abandoning the promotional obligations that come with a high‑profile bout. When asked about his absence at a press conference on Wednesday, Garcia responded bluntly: "I wasn't there because I didn't want to be.
Look, we have a face‑off at the press conference on Thursday, then the weigh‑ins on Friday, and finally a real face‑off in the ring when the referees give us instructions. I've been doing this for a long time, I've done fight weeks in Vegas before, and I've never been forced to do a face‑off on a Tuesday. I have my own routine, and this was something I chose not to do." He added a wry observation about Benn's demeanor, saying, "It was funny seeing him stare at himself," implying that Benn's attempts to psych himself up looked more like self‑reflection than intimidation. The buildup to the fight has been punctuated by a series of video highlights and promotional clips that have been circulating online.
Among them are moments from Jai Opetaia's stoppage of Noel Mikaelian, which helped set the stage for a larger David Benavidez event, as well as a dramatic two‑round knockout that Garcia delivered against Benn in a hypothetical scenario used for promotional purposes. Garcia has also hinted at a future unification bout with Teofimo Lopez, while Benn's camp continues to tout his resilience and potential for a comeback. From Benn's perspective, Garcia's decision to skip the face‑off was a disappointment to the fans. "Ultimately it's disrespectful to the public because they deserve it," Benn said on Wednesday.
"The public deserves us giving you guys the best. This is what we do. This is what we're here for." Benn enters the Las Vegas contest as the underdog. After moving up to middleweight for a bout with Chris Eubank Jr., he suffered a loss in April 2025, only to avenge that defeat later in November.
Most recently, he secured a victory over Regis Prograis at a 150‑pound catch‑weight in April, demonstrating his ability to compete across weight classes. If Benn makes weight at the Friday weigh‑in, it will mark his first appearance at the welterweight limit in more than four years; his last sub‑147‑pound fight was against Chris van Heerden in April 2022. Benn has faced criticism for his ability to drop down to 147 pounds, a challenge he described as feeling "dragged through the pits of hell and having a fight with Satan" during his preparation. He emphasized his dedication, noting a 15‑week dieting regimen that culminated in a successful weigh‑in, and declared, "A lot of people said I couldn't make the weight, watch me do it.
I've done it, and that's it." Benn also indicated that this will be his final fight at the welterweight limit, with aspirations to move up to 160 or even 168 pounds afterward. Garcia, however, made it clear he will not entertain any excuses from Benn regarding the weight cut after the fight.
"All we can do is go by past experience," Garcia said. "He cut back down to 150 pounds to fight Prograis. We saw how he bloated up.
Now he has an extra three pounds to shed. I don't want to hear any excuses. He doesn't have a rehydration clause. I don't want to hear any crybaby s*** from him.
He's trying to set up a narrative, because when he gets his a** whopped, he'll say: 'I was drained.' I'm about to beat his a**, it doesn't matter how much he weighs." The tension between the two fighters extends beyond the promotional stage and into their personal philosophies about preparation, discipline, and respect for the audience. Garcia's refusal to participate in a Tuesday face‑off underscores his commitment to a personal routine that he believes optimizes his performance.
Benn, on the other hand, views the face‑off as an essential component of the fight week, a chance to engage with fans and demonstrate his readiness. Both athletes have been featured in a series of video clips that encourage viewers to use the Chrome browser for the best playback experience, a reminder that the promotional material is designed to reach a broad online audience. These clips include a montage of Garcia's knockout power, Benn's gritty training footage, and commentary from veteran boxing analyst Johnny Nelson, who suggested that while Benn's "graduation day" is imminent, Garcia could be a class above in the Las Vegas clash.
As the fight approaches, the narrative has crystallized around two opposing mindsets: Garcia's confidence in his established routine and his willingness to dismiss any post‑fight rationalizations, and Benn's determination to prove his detractors wrong by making weight, delivering a strong performance, and possibly setting the stage for a move up in weight class. The upcoming bout promises to be more than a simple title defense; it is a clash of personalities, preparation philosophies, and public expectations. Whether Garcia's decision to skip the face‑off will be seen as a strategic advantage or a missed promotional opportunity remains to be judged by the fans and the final result in the ring. Regardless, both fighters have signaled that they are ready to give the audience a memorable night of boxing, with Garcia aiming to retain his WBC welterweight belt and Benn hoping to upset the odds and cement his place among the sport's elite.