Next month, Conor Benn will return to the welterweight division in an immediate challenge for Ryan Garcia’s WBC world title in one of the highest profile bouts of 2026. Now, Frank Warren has offered his thoughts on the fight.
Back in April 2022, in his most recent welterweight outing, Benn knocked out Chris van Heerden and looked to be on the verge of a challenge for world honours, before opting to take on Chris Eubank Jr instead.
However, a failed drugs test led to the cancellation of that contest and derailed Benn’s career, which was then revived when he twice fought Eubank as a middleweight in 2025, suffering a first career defeat and then avenging it.
This year, Benn has made headlines once again as he announced plans to return to welterweight and then ditched career-long promoter, Eddie Hearn, in favour of a switch to Zuffa Boxing, where he made his first outing in a 150lb catchweight clash with Regis Prograis in April.
In September, Benn has the chance to emerge as a global superstar by bringing Garcia’s reign to an early end, but Warren told Playbook Boxing that he makes the Briton a ‘massive underdog’.
“Conor, at this moment in time, for me he is a big underdog in that fight. I am sure he will do his best and fight his best, but you have got to make Garcia a massive favourite.
“Conor has not boxed at a high level yet. He boxed Chris Eubank Jnr, 36 years old and he [Eubank] has never done it, at all, at the top.”
Regardless of the outcome of his September 12 showdown with Garcia, Benn has declared that the scrap will be his last at 147lbs, planning to campaign at either super-welterweight or middleweight in the future.
