Ryan Garcia Makes Major Fight Announcement on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Ryan Garcia will get to settle an old score in his first defense of the WBC welterweight title.

Garcia has done nothing but call fighters out since beating Mario Barrios to win the WBC title in February, but his attention has always been focused on Conor Benn. 'King Ry' appeared to let it slip that the fight had been signed on a recent live stream, and he officially announced it on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on Monday night.

"I can say that we are fighting September 12th; it'll be in Vegas," Garcia said. "The opponent, let's just say he's from the other side... He's across the pond... I'll just say his name just 'cause I love this show. His name is Conor Benn. And he's talking a lot, he's talking crazy."

.@RyanGarcia is geared up and ready to fight Conor Benn 👀 #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/eggfHOfUzT
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) May 19, 2026

Garcia admitted that the fight is "personal" for him, recalling a purported run-in at an awards show a few years back. He claims Benn grabbed him by the collar in front of his wife, leading to him holding a grudge ever since.

Benn is the WBC's No. 1-ranked welterweight contender, making it only a matter of time before the fight gets made. The Englishman's signing with Zuffa Boxing — which openly opposes the WBC's every move — seemingly threw a wrench in the plans, but both sides appear to have worked it out behind the scenes.

Ryan Garcia defending WBC 147-pound title against Conor Benn

Garcia and Benn have both done business with Turki Alalshikh, who would seemingly play a big role in getting the fight signed. However, Garcia announced the fight for Sept. 12, which Riyadh Season has been targeting as the date for Canelo Alvarez's return fight against WBC super middleweight champion Christian M'billi.

With details still to be finalized, the official date for either fight could still be moved. Both Garcia-Benn and Alvarez-Mbilli are worthy of headlining their own pay-per-view events, making it unlikely that they would be placed on the same fight card.

Whichever way it works out, Garcia's title defense against Benn will be one of the most anticipated matchups of the year, even if both have their fair share of harsh critics. Garcia is still just 2-2 with one no-contest in his last five fights, while Benn disappointed many in his recent win over a now-retired Regis Prograis in April.

The fight will be Benn's first-ever world title fight in his 26th professional outing. He was previously the WBA Continental welterweight champion from 2018 to 2022, during which he turned heads with statement victories over former champions Chris Algieri, Samuel Vargas and Chris van Heerden.

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