Benn pushes for Garcia
After beating Regis Prograis by unanimous decision, Conor Benn publicly called for a shot at Ryan Garcia’s WBC welterweight title and said he wants the fight later in 2026. Garcia fired back on social media, mocking Benn as “Conor Bumm” and predicting Benn would be stopped, while Benn replied by calling Garcia a “coward” and asking “Where’s he been?” (skysports.com) (badlefthook.com) (espn.com)
Conor Benn used his win over Regis Prograis to press for a fight with Ryan Garcia and the World Boxing Council welterweight belt later in 2026. (skysports.com) Benn beat Prograis by unanimous decision on Saturday, April 11, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in a 10-round bout. Sky Sports reported Benn said in the ring, “I want Ryan Garcia next” and told the champion to “keep my belt warm.” (skysports.com) Garcia answered on social media within a day, calling him “Conor Bumm” and saying “Benn’s corner or the ref will stop it.” Bad Left Hook reported Garcia also wrote that he was “down” for the matchup. (badlefthook.com) Benn then escalated the exchange, calling Garcia a “coward” and asking, “Where’s he been?” ESPN reported Benn said Garcia had “got a belt now and all of a sudden he’s gone quiet.” (espn.com) The belt at issue changed hands less than two months ago. Garcia won the World Boxing Council welterweight title from Mario Barrios by unanimous decision on February 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, dropping Barrios in the first round and winning on scores of 119-108, 120-107 and 118-109. (espn.com) That title win gave Garcia his first major world championship and moved him into the center of the welterweight picture at 147 pounds. Benn is now trying to turn a non-title win over former junior welterweight champion Prograis into a direct shot at that belt. (espn.com) (skysports.com) Benn’s own recent record has been busy but uneven at the top level. He lost a unanimous decision to Chris Eubank Jr. in April 2025, then returned to beat Eubank in their rematch in November 2025 before facing Prograis this month. (usatoday.com) (boxingonly.net) Garcia’s side has not announced a date, site or contract for a Benn fight. For now, what exists is a titleholder who says he is willing, a challenger who wants the bout before 2026 ends, and a public argument that has already started selling the matchup. (badlefthook.com) (skysports.com)
