Las Vegas hosts major boxing night with Garcia vs. Benn welterweight title bout
Garcia vs. Benn Headlines Championship Night
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was the venue for a significant night of championship boxing on Saturday, September 12. The main event featured a highly anticipated welterweight world title showdown between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn. Additionally, Jai Opetaia and Noel Mikaelian competed for the world cruiserweight championship in the co-main event.
Conor Benn, a 29-year-old Briton, returned to the welterweight division for the first time since April 2022 to challenge WBC champion Ryan Garcia. Benn entered the fight with 25 wins from 26 professional fights. Garcia, 28, was making his first defense of the belt after a decision victory over Mario Barrios in February. Garcia’s professional record includes 25 victories in 28 fights, with 20 wins by knockout, two losses, and one no-contest.
Undercard Bouts and Results
The preliminary card began with Sean Garcia, Ryan Garcia’s younger brother, securing a majority decision victory over Abraham Morales in their lightweight matchup. The judges scored the bout 56-56, 58-54, 58-54. Sean Garcia demonstrated quick hands and landed a counter shot that dropped Morales in the third round. Despite a point deduction in the fifth round, Garcia maintained control to win the decision.
In another notable preliminary bout, Alexis Rocha defeated former unified 140-pound world champion Jose Ramirez via unanimous decision after 10 rounds of action. Rocha, ranked No. 9 in welterweight contenders by The Ring, emerged victorious with judges’ scores of 98-91, 98-91, 97-92. Ramirez’s experience was evident early on, but Rocha elevated his performance as the fight progressed, even after sustaining a cut from a clash of heads in the ninth round.
Vlad Panin extended his career win tally to 25 with a fourth-round TKO stoppage against Dakota Linger in their super welterweight contest. Panin started aggressively, nearly securing a first-round stoppage. He continued to build his punch count, eventually forcing the referee to stop the fight in the fourth round after a series of heavy combinations. This marked Panin’s second win under the Zuffa Boxing banner and extended his knockout streak to four fights.
Undefeated super middleweight prospect Abel Gonzalez overcame an early knockdown to claim a unanimous decision victory over Raul Salomon. Salomon surprised Gonzalez with a knockdown in the opening round, but Gonzalez recovered and increased his work rate from the third round onwards. The judges scored the bout 77-74 across all cards, improving Gonzalez’s perfect professional record to 9-0.
In the final preliminary card bout, Oswaldo Molina defeated Pablo Rubio via unanimous decision in a clash of undefeated lightweight prospects. Molina, 19, displayed superior footwork and cleaner striking throughout the six-round contest. The judges’ scores were 60-54, 59-55, 59-55, with one judge giving Molina all six rounds. Molina’s record now stands at 10-0, while Rubio suffered his first professional loss, dropping to 15-1.
The main card commenced with Andres Cortes, an undefeated Las Vegas native, delivering a strong performance against former featherweight world champion Mark Magsayo. Cortes comprehensively outboxed Magsayo over 10 rounds in their lightweight contest, securing a unanimous decision with scores of 97-93 across the board. Cortes’s victory moved his record to 26-0.
Heavyweight prospect Da’Mazion Vanhouter continued his ascent with a first-round knockout victory over Raphael Akpejiori. Vanhouter needed just one minute and 58 seconds to secure the win, dropping Akpejiori with a combination of punches. The fight was scheduled for eight rounds but concluded quickly.
Expert Predictions for Garcia vs. Benn
Several boxing figures offered their predictions for the Garcia vs. Benn main event. Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew predicted a knockout win for Benn, suggesting Garcia might take the fight lightly. However, former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton favored Garcia for a comfortable win, citing Benn’s recent performance and struggles with weight.
Former super-featherweight world champion Barry Jones also leaned towards Garcia, believing Garcia’s speed, power, and patience would be decisive. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum predicted a quick knockout for Garcia, stating Benn would be stopped within one or two rounds. Former world title challenger Paul Smith and DAZN commentator Adam Smith both indicated a preference for Garcia, highlighting his speed, skill, and power.
Former lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla and former undisputed light-welterweight champion Josh Taylor both predicted a Ryan Garcia knockout, emphasizing the significant step up in class for Benn. Boxing journalist Kevin Iole and DAZN presenter Ade Oladipo also picked Garcia to win, citing his speed, experience, and unpredictability as key factors. Oladipo predicted a Garcia win between rounds four and seven.
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Source: ufc.com
