Abel Sanchez raises major weight concern about Conor Benn ahead of Garcia fight

On September 12 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn will headline a co-promoted card between Zuffa Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions. Fight fans in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and most countries worldwide can catch the action live on DAZN pay-per-view and The Ultimate Tier, while the U.S. can watch the event on Paramount+, with Garcia’s WBC welterweight title on the line.

Ahead of this Vegas dust-up, respected trainer Abel Sanchez spoke to Fight Hub TV, where he revealed his concern regarding Benn’s rumoured struggles at the weight.

Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn: WBC welterweight title fight set for Sep. 12

Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) and Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) divide opinions among boxing fans, but the star quality of either cannot be disputed. They have both had their much-publicised issues with PEDs, including Garcia, who tested positive for the banned substance ostarine on both the day before and the day of the fight against Devin Haney. He initially and deservedly won the bout against Haney, but following the news of the failed tests, it was ultimately changed to a no-contest, with Garcia accepting a 12-month ban, starting from the date of his fight against Haney. Garcia returned against Rolly Romero, where he was surprisingly beaten, before producing a career-best performance to win the WBC title against Mario Barrios.

The “Destroyer” returned to action in 2025, losing to Chris Eubank Jr in a bout that ultimately won fight of the year. Benn dropped Eubank Jr twice in the rematch, winning by unanimous decision (118-108, 119-107, and 116-110). Benn, now with Zuffa, most recently beat Regis Prograis by a unanimous decision (98-92 x3).

Abel Sanchez has his say on weight concerns for Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn

Discussing his concerns for Garcia-Benn, Sanchez said:

“The thing that I find hard to understand is how can Conor (Benn) make 147? That’s the first question. And two, he’s probably gonna make it, because that’s what they’re contracted at.

“But is that fair to Ryan, and is that fair to Conor? Is it fair to Ryan because now he’s gonna be fighting a depleted guy, and nobody’s going to give him the credit. Or is it fair to Conor to go into a fight against a fighter like Ryan who’s coming up, so at 147 he’s gonna be full? Is it fair for Conor to do that to himself?

“So that was my concern from the beginning. But 149(7) really is not the question; it’s how much he’s losing that last week to get down to 49(7). Let’s just say that is what he comes in at. That’s why I think it’s so important for us coaches to have control of our fighters, so that we weigh ‘em every day. We weigh ‘em every morning to make sure we’re heading down instead of levelling out. And they knew about this fight three months ago, and we’re talking about the weight now? 

“That weight should have been taken off a long time ago.”

Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn full fight card

• Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn, 12 rounds, for Garcia’s WBC welterweight title
• Jai Opetaia vs Noel Mikaelian, 12 rounds, for Opetaia’s lineal cruiserweight title
• Mark Magsayo vs Andres Cortes, 10 rounds, lightweights
• Da’Mazion Vanhouter vs Raphael Akpejiori, 8 rounds, heavyweights
• Jose Ramirez vs Alexis Rocha, 10 rounds, welterweights
• Pablo Rubio vs Oswaldo Molina, 6 rounds, lightweights
• Abel Gonzalez vs Raul Salomon, 8 rounds, super middleweights
• Vlad Panin vs Dakota Linger, 6 rounds, super welterweights
• Sean Garcia vs Abraham Morales, 6 rounds, lightweights

Stay with Big Fight Weekend for coverage of Garcia vs Benn, including results and video highlights, and post-fight analysis.

The Big Fight Weekend verdict

It remains to be seen just how much Benn has struggled at the weight. Looking at the widely circulated videos and images, it looks like it’s been a huge struggle for the Brit to make 147 for the first time in four years. 

If Benn is not at his physical peak, his chances of even troubling Garcia diminish. The closer we get to fight night, the more we are backing a Garcia stoppage victory.

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Featured Image Credit:

Zuffa Boxing