Benn 'dragged down to pits of hell' by weight cut

Conor Benn says making the welterweight limit for his world title challenge against Ryan Garcia has felt like being "dragged down to the pits of hell" but insists he is healthy and will make weight.

Benn, 29, faces WBC champion Garcia at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday in the first world title fight of his 10-year professional career.

The Briton must weigh no more than 10st 7lb (67kg) when he steps on the scales in on Friday, having not made the welterweight limit for more than four years.

"It's been extremely difficult," Benn told BBC Sport.

"It feels like I've been dragged down to the pits of hell, had a fight with Satan and God brought me back to life.

"Making weight has been the hardest thing I've done. I haven't made weight for four and a half years so it's going to be hard.

"But I won't moan when I'm getting paid a fortune to headline in Vegas for a world title. I know what I signed up for."

Benn last made the welterweight limit when stopping Chris van Heerden in two rounds in April 2022.

He stepped up to 11st 6lb (73kg) for two lucrative contests with Chris Eubank Jr last year, suffering the first defeat of his professional career in April 2025 before avenging the loss on points seven months later.

Garcia told BBC Sport his own weight cut has been "easy peasy, lemon squeezy".

"I know what he's doing right now. He's not on weight right now - you can see it in his face. He was sunken in a few weeks ago but he's a bit puffy now," Garcia said.

Benn's appearance in pictures and videos posted on social media during fight week has prompted concern among some observers over the effects of dropping back to welterweight.

Former world champion Carl Froch and Benn's former opponent Chris Algieri are among those to have questioned whether the weight cut could leave him depleted.

It is particularly pertinent given the contrasting styles on Saturday. Benn is an aggressive, front-foot fighter who likes to apply pressure, while American Garcia, 28, possesses fast hands and is renowned for a dangerous counter left hook.

But Benn dismissed concerns over his condition.

"I'm healthy," he said, adding that he expects to rehydrate significantly and enter the ring at around 12st 7lb (80kg) - two stones heavier than the welterweight limit.

Even if he fulfils a lifelong ambition by winning a maiden world title and following in his father Nigel's footsteps, Benn intends to vacate the belt "straight away" and move back up to middleweight or potentially as high as super-middleweight.

"I love challenges and that's what life is about, otherwise it's boring," he added.

For all the difficulty presented by the weight cut, there was little outward sign of Benn being weighed down by the occasion.

He was relaxed and in good spirits as he made time for the travelling British media at the UFC's Meta Apex, with father and British boxing great Nigel Benn by his side.

One man Conor Benn is yet to see, however, is his opponent.

Garcia did not appear for a scheduled face-off at Mandalay Bay on Tuesday, with Benn told beforehand that the champion would not be attending.

"I have a lot of experience in this game. I've been fighting big fights for a long time - much longer than him - and I've been in Vegas long enough to realise certain things are not worth my time," Garcia said.

"I have a routine to follow; I need to stay sharp. I'll let him go and stare at himself, but I've got a job to do. I needed to train.

"We've got a face-off on the press conference, on the weigh-in and then in the ring. How many face-offs do we need?

"I don't need to play mind games. He's getting his ass whooping regardless. He could be confident, he could be happy, sad, drained, strong or anything he wants to be - the skills will pay the bills in that ring."

Benn turned up to the weigh-in regardless and jokingly squared up to his 62-year-old father instead.

The former two-weight world champion has been a prominent presence throughout fight week, despite previously suggesting he would take a step back from his son's career.

Benn described Garcia as a "strange geezer" and said the no-show had done the champion "no favours".

"I'm not bothered, I've dealt with worse," Conor Benn added. "If he turns up or not, it makes no difference to me.

"Irrespective of how hard the weight cut is or anything else, we owe it to the public to give the fans what they want. It's a lack of discipline and professionalism."