Conor Benn followed the most humbling defeat of his 25-2 (14 KOs) career with a precautionary trip to hospital.
The 29-year-old, after a salty build-up focused on his struggle to make weight, was outclassed and stopped in two rounds by WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.
The finish was instigated by a ferocious right hand that floored Benn heavily. The follow-up assault convinced the referee to rescue Benn as he attempted to find shelter on the ropes.
The shellacking followed a week of speculation and conjecture regarding Benn’s weight. He ultimately came in at 146lbs at Friday’s weigh-in, his lightest since June 2019.
Benn had two fights last year at middleweight, going 1-1 in his rivalry with Chris Eubank Jnr, then weighed just under 150lbs for a lacklustre April victory over Regis Prograis.
The Englishman admitted the process of getting down to 147 was like “being dragged down to the pits of hell” but his team, specifically father Nigel Benn, were quick to stress he’d lost the weight sensibly.
In Las Vegas, Benn made a fast start but could not avoid the whipping counters of Garcia before the finish.
Afterwards, event promoter Dana White of Zuffa Boxing and TKO confirmed that Benn was getting checked in hospital.
“I don’t mess with that stuff, man,” White said.
“I think everybody that had a rough fight, got knocked out or whatever, should go to hospital.
“The UFC’s [in 25 years] never had a death or serious injury and we wanted to keep that record going in boxing.”
Benn later tweeted: “Not my night. No excuses. @RyanGarcia you’re a great champion.”
