“So, when you fight Conor, what y’all fighting at? 54 or 47?” said Broner.
Ryan replied, “47.”
Broner responded, “Is he going to make it? I don’t think he’s going to make it. He was struggling to make 149.”
Ryan agreed with Broner’s view, saying, “I don’t think he’s going to make it either.”
The exchange focused on Benn’s ability to return to the welterweight limit after his most recent outing against Regis Prograis was contested at a 150-pound catchweight on April 11th. Broner suggested that shedding the extra weight for a fight with Ryan won’t be easy, while Ryan didn’t disagree.
The conversation then turned to how additional weight after the weigh-in can affect a fighter’s performance. Broner argued that carrying more weight slows a boxer down, while Ryan asked whether there were any restrictions that would prevent Benn from putting pounds back on after making weight.
Neither fighter offered any evidence that Benn is having trouble with his current weight cut, and Broner’s comments were presented as his personal opinion rather than inside information. Still, the discussion highlighted one of the questions that will follow the fight as it approaches.
Benn lands this opportunity despite not having fought at the 147-pound welterweight limit since stopping Chris Van Heerden in 2022. Rather than earning a title shot through the rankings, the British contender moves straight into a challenge for Ryan Garcia’s WBC welterweight title, which Garcia won from Mario Barrios in February.
Their fight is scheduled for September 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during Mexican Independence Day weekend. Given Benn’s recent run above the division limit, his condition on the scales is likely to become a major talking point during fight week.
