Conor Benn surprises everyone by gaining a lot of weight just hours after Ryan Garcia’s weigh-in.
Conor Benn pulled off an incredible feat by gaining over 30 pounds in just 12 hours after his weigh-in for his fight against Ryan Garcia. Since their contract didn’t limit rehydration, Benn was able to put the weight back on quickly and will now step into the ring at just over 178 pounds.
The 29-year-old British boxer weighed in at 146 pounds before his big WBC title fight with Ryan Garcia, which is happening this Saturday night in Las Vegas. When Benn got off the scale, Garcia was just half a pound heavier at 66 kilograms, but he has since jumped up to a whopping 81 kilograms.
Later on Friday, Benn’s face and body looked much fuller when he chatted with fans. A video even showed him stepping on another scale, this time reading 178.4 pounds, as he lifted his shirt to flex. Benn, who has a strong record of 25 wins and 1 loss, had said he’d reach 80 kilograms after weigh-in, and he delivered on that promise.
He’ll be fighting Garcia, who might have also gained weight but is not confirmed beyond 11 stone, at around 12 stone 10 pounds. Benn hasn’t fought at welterweight in four years, having had two middleweight fights against Chris Eubanks Jr.—losing the first but winning the second. He also won a recent fight against former world champ Regis Prograis at a catchweight slightly above welterweight in April.
Some fans were disappointed that Benn didn’t knock Prograis out, but Prograis shared that he was injured during the fight, saying, “The rumors about me being hurt were true. I was scared and wasn’t sure if I could keep going.” The 37-year-old, who retired after that fight, mentioned he had injuries to his hand, eye, ribs, and jaw.
Benn, who’s going for his first world title, wasn’t worried about the challenges of making weight before gaining it back. “Sure, it’s a gamble, but that’s what makes it exciting—the risk and challenge. People said I couldn’t make weight. Watch me,” he said. “It’s been over four years since I last made this weight, and it felt like going through hell. But I did it.”
Garcia, on the other hand, was clear he won’t accept any excuses if Benn loses because of weight. “We saw how he gained weight after fighting Regis. Now he has even more to put on. But I don’t want to hear any complaints. He’ll be around 170–175 pounds in the ring, so no excuses,” said Garcia. “I might be 157 pounds, and he could have 20 pounds on me, but I’m still going to beat him. Weight doesn’t matter.”
So, it’s set: Benn will face a much heavier Benn in the ring this weekend as Garcia defends his WBC welterweight title. It’s shaping up to be a thrilling fight!