Ryan Garcia showed no remorse for missing the scheduled face‑to‑face showdown with Conor Benn on Tuesday, even calling it "funny" to watch the British contender pretend to square off against his own father, Nigel. The incident comes as Garcia prepares to make his first defense of the WBC welterweight crown against Benn at the T‑Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The original plan had the two fighters meeting at a media event in the Mandalay Bay Hotel earlier in the week, but Garcia simply did not appear. Benn, visibly frustrated, accused his opponent of "bottling it" and letting the fans down.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Garcia offered a detailed explanation: "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 then a final face‑off literally in the ring when the referees give you instructions.
I've been doing this for a long time. I've had fight weeks in Vegas before. I've never had to do a face‑off on a Tuesday.
I have a routine, and it's just something I didn't want to do." He added, "It was funny seeing him [Benn] staring at himself," a jab that underscored his lack of regret. Garcia's comments were followed by a series of unrelated boxing news items, but the focus remained on his decision to skip the pre‑fight ritual. Benn, on the other hand, expressed disappointment that the audience was short‑changed.
"Ultimately it's disrespectful to the public because they deserve it," he said. "The public deserves us giving you guys the best.
This is what we do. This is what we're here for." Benn enters the bout as the underdog, having recently moved up to middleweight for a fight with Chris Eubank Jr. He suffered his first loss to the rival in April 2025, only to avenge that defeat later in November.
More recently, he beat Regis Prograis at a 150‑pound catch‑weight in April, marking his last appearance above the welterweight limit. If he makes weight on Friday, it will be his first fight at 147 pounds in more than four years, the last being against Chris van Heerden in April 2022. The British boxer has faced a barrage of skeptics who doubted his ability to drop back down to welterweight. He responded with a vivid metaphor, saying he felt "dragged through the pits of hell and had a fight with Satan" during his weight‑cutting regimen.
"A lot of people said I couldn't make the weight, watch me do it," Benn declared, noting that he endured fifteen weeks of strict dieting to reach the limit. He added, "I've done it, and that's it." Benn also hinted that this could be his final outing at 147 pounds, indicating a desire to move up to 160 or even 168 pounds after the fight. Garcia, however, warned against any post‑fight excuses regarding the weight cut. "All we can do is go by past experience," he said.
"He cut back down to 150 pounds to fight Prograis. We have seen how he bloated up. Now he has an extra three pounds to go. I don't want to hear any excuses.
He doesn't have a rehydration clause. I don't want to be hearing 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 missed face‑off. Garcia's refusal to participate in the traditional pre‑fight ritual was framed as a matter of personal routine and professional experience. He has spent years navigating fight weeks in Las Vegas and other venues, and the Tuesday face‑off was an unnecessary deviation from his established preparation schedule. From a broader perspective, the incident highlights how modern boxing promotions often emphasize spectacle—press conferences, weigh‑ins, and face‑offs—as much as the sport itself.
While fans and media enjoy the drama, fighters sometimes view these events as distractions from the core work of training and making weight. Garcia's comments suggest he prioritizes his own preparation over promotional obligations, a stance that may resonate with other athletes who feel the same pressure.
Meanwhile, Benn's narrative is one of perseverance. Dropping back down to welterweight after a stint at middleweight is a physically demanding process, and his willingness to endure a grueling diet underscores his commitment to the bout. His remarks about being "dragged through the pits of hell" convey both the physical strain and the mental fortitude required to meet the weight limit. Both fighters are now focused on the upcoming Saturday showdown.
Garcia, confident in his abilities and dismissive of any potential weight‑cut excuses, aims to retain his title with a decisive performance. Benn, eager to prove doubters wrong and to showcase his resilience, hopes to upset the odds and possibly secure a future at a higher weight class. As the fight approaches, the boxing community will be watching not only the action inside the ring but also the surrounding narratives: Garcia's unapologetic stance on promotional duties, Benn's battle against the scale, and the broader question of how much pre‑fight theatrics truly matter in the sport.
The outcome will likely shape the next chapter for both athletes, influencing future negotiations, promotional expectations, and the ever‑evolving dynamics of professional boxing.