Conor Benn says being written off brings out his best — but the record barely backs him up as he heads into his September 12 showdown with Ryan Garcia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “I like being the underdog,” Benn told Sky Sports (via Boxing News 24). “I think I perform at my best. Every single one of my fights has led me to this moment.”
Why Conor Benn Is The Underdog Against Ryan Garcia
The claim is a tough one to stand up. Benn has been the betting underdog in only two completed fights, both against Chris Eubank Jr — he lost the first by unanimous decision in April 2025 before edging the rematch seven months later. Eubank was in his mid-30s for both, with weight conditions applied to the naturally bigger man in the return, and he was never the one-punch counterpuncher Garcia is.
Garcia brings a lightning-fast left hook that has produced some of his biggest knockdowns, and Benn’s aggressive, come-forward style could walk him straight into it. This is not another meeting with an ageing veteran; it is a dangerous puncher in Benn’s own division armed with the exact weapon to punish the risks he takes. That makes Las Vegas a leap into the unknown — a live puncher his own size, a new crowd, and none of the built-in edges he carried into the Eubank nights. September 12 will test the theory. Follow the full build-up on Conor Benn’s road to Las Vegas.
