Wild Zuffa Boxing Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn Press Conference Video Where Both Fighters Nearly Brawl
By Real Combat Media Boxing Editorial Staff
New York, New York, (July 18th, 2026)–Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn needed security to physically separate them Saturday at Fanatics Fest, as the first press conference for their September 12 clash at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas boiled over into a near brawl. Zuffa Boxing head Dana White stepped between the two welterweights himself, capping a kickoff event that already has real animosity behind it.
Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) is making the first defense of the WBC welterweight title he won from Mario Barrios in February, while Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) is getting the first world title opportunity of his career. Garcia predicted a short night, telling reporters, “You’re going to get knocked out under five rounds.” Benn dismissed the comments as an act, calling Garcia immature and more interested in attention than in a real fight, and later told MMA Fighting, “I wanted to punch his head in, for sure.”
The matchup also marks Benn’s debut under the Zuffa Boxing banner after a shock split from longtime promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, agreeing to a one-fight deal with Dana White’s outfit in February. Garcia remains aligned with Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya, who was not on hand Saturday as White ran the press conference solo, a reminder of the uneasy co-promotion behind the fight. The card streams on Paramount+ in the United States, while DAZN holds UK and Ireland rights and carried Saturday’s press conference live.
Garcia vs. Benn lands September 12 at T-Mobile Arena, a date that typically hosts UFC’s Mexican Independence Day weekend card. Saturday’s event in New York also doubled as a promotional stop for Zuffa Boxing 09, set for July 26 at the Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden.
Watch: Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn Press Conference Video Highlights
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