Ryan Garcia failed to appear at the first scheduled fight-week photo session in Las Vegas on Tuesday, handing Conor Benn an unexpected solo moment and prompting the British challenger to accuse the WBC titleholder of avoiding the face-off. Benn, 29, stood with his father, former world champion Nigel Benn, and kept up a light exchange as he waited alone for his opponent.
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After Garcia did not attend the session, Benn addressed the no-show directly, saying, "I apologise for Ryan doing what Ryan does and bottling it. We turn up, we're here, ready for the face-off," and adding, "Come Saturday, he's in for a war." The exchange escalated the promotional tensions ahead of the pair's clash at the T-Mobile Arena.
Garcia, 28, who holds the WBC welterweight title, later posted on Instagram: "Nice relaxing time as Conor wastes time showing up to a face-off, Back to the sauna you go, sausage getting cooked every way." The bout is set to be Benn's first world championship fight, and Garcia enters the weekend as the favourite.
Fight week still features two formal gatherings, a news conference on Thursday and the official weigh-in on Friday, before the scheduled match on Saturday. Much of the buildup has centred on Benn's jump to welterweight and whether he can make the limit; he has not fought at 10st 7lb (67kg) since 2022, following two middleweight bouts with Chris Eubank Jr and a 10st 12lb (69kg) catchweight meeting with Regis Prograis in April. Benn has said he does not intend to remain at welterweight for long.
Garcia's recent career has been at lighter weights, with fights at lightweight and light-welterweight on his record. He missed weight for his light-welterweight contest with Devin Haney in 2024, though organisers do not expect him to struggle to make the limit for this defence.
The card's co-main carries its own uncertainty. Jai Opetaia is due to face Noel Mikaelian, the WBC cruiserweight champion, who could be stripped after withdrawing from a mandatory defence to take this fight. Promoter Don King has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Zuffa Boxing seeking cancellation; Zuffa confirmed it received the legal notice. Dana White has insisted the bout will proceed, saying, "[Jai's] fighting this weekend," and, "I've always had good dealings with Don (King). When have you ever seen a scenario with us where we go and try to interfere with someone's contract? We don't do it."
Both headline fights head into the final promotional days with the Thursday press conference and Friday weigh-in still scheduled, setting up Saturday's double-header at the T-Mobile Arena. The actions and words exchanged this week have sharpened focus on weight and willingness, handing more significance to the remaining public events before the ring settles matters.
