Ryan Garcia steps back into the ring Saturday night for the first defense of the WBC welterweight title he won in February, and Conor Benn stands across from him chasing a first world championship of his own. The Zuffa Boxing and Ring Magazine card unfolds at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Paramount+ carrying the entire show in the United States and DAZN handling the pay-per-view for the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) earned the belt by dominating Mario Barrios inside the same arena back in February, a result that steadied a career that had wobbled through turbulence in recent years.
Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) arrives having avenged his lone professional loss to Chris Eubank Jr. and having beaten former titleholder Regis Prograis, according to The Athletic. Both men made weight Friday, Garcia at 145 1/2 pounds and Benn at 146.The Englishman had not made 147 pounds since 2022. Garcia opened as a heavy betting favorite at -370, with Benn priced at +275.
| ZUFFA BOXING — GARCIA VS. BENN | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile Arena • Las Vegas, NV • Saturday, September 12, 2026 | ||||
| Prelims: 5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT • Main Card: 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT • Stream: Paramount+ (US) • DAZN (International) | ||||
| Bout | Weight Class | Rounds | Records | Notes |
| MAIN CARD — 8:00 PM ET | ||||
| 🏅 Ryan Garcia (c) vs. Conor Benn | Welterweight | 12 | Garcia 25-2 (20 KOs) Benn 25-1 (14 KOs) |
WBC Welterweight Title. Garcia’s first defense after winning the belt over Mario Barrios at this same venue. Benn, son of British legend Nigel Benn, last fought at 160 lbs and has not made 147 since 2022. Both made weight on Friday. Garcia -370 / Benn +275. |
| 🏅 Jai Opetaia (c) vs. Noel Mikaelian | Cruiserweight (200 lbs) | 12 | Opetaia 30-0 Mikaelian 28-3 |
Zuffa Boxing & Ring Magazine Cruiserweight Titles. Unbeaten Opetaia a heavy favorite at -1400. Mikaelian expected to be a durable challenger. Opetaia by late stoppage or decision projected. |
| Mark Magsayo vs. Andres Cortes | Lightweight (135 lbs) | 10 | Magsayo 29-2 (19 KOs) Cortes 25-0 (13 KOs) |
Former world champion Magsayo meets unbeaten prospect Cortes. High-stakes unbeaten vs. former champ matchup. |
| Da’Mazion Vanhouter vs. Raphael Akpejiori | Heavyweight | 8 | Vanhouter 12-0 (9 KOs) Akpejiori 19-3 (18 KOs) |
Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Vanhouter faces experienced KO artist Akpejiori in a high-risk step-up test. |
| PRELIMINARY CARD — 5:00 PM ET | ||||
| Jose Ramirez vs. Alexis Rocha | Welterweight (147 lbs) | 10 | Ramirez 29-3 (18 KOs) Rocha 26-2-1 (16 KOs) |
Former unified 140-lb champion Ramirez coming off back-to-back losses to Barboza and Haney; must-win situation. Rocha is a California southpaw on a four-fight unbeaten run including a win over Joseph Diaz. |
| Abel Gonzalez vs. Raul Salomon | Super Middleweight (168 lbs) | 8 | Gonzalez 8-0 (6 KOs) Salomon 16-4-1 (14 KOs) |
Unbeaten prospect Gonzalez faces experienced puncher Salomon in a step-up test at 168 lbs. |
| Vlad Panin vs. Dakota Linger | Super Welterweight (154 lbs) | 6 | Panin 24-2 (16 KOs) Linger 17-7-3 (13 KOs) |
Veteran Panin with high KO rate meets durable Linger. Action-oriented six-rounder rather than a title-path fight. |
| Oswaldo Molina vs. Pablo Rubio | Lightweight / ~132-lb Catchweight | 6 | Molina 9-0 Rubio 15-0 |
Two undefeated prospects meet in a developmental six-rounder. One unbeaten record must fall. |
| Sean Garcia vs. Abraham Morales | Lightweight (135 lbs) | 6 | Sean Garcia 7-1-1 Morales 4-1 |
Early-career six-rounder. Ryan Garcia’s brother Sean continues to build his professional record on a high-profile card. |
| 🏅 = Title fight. Fight card subject to change. Stream: Paramount+ (US, no PPV, included with subscription) • DAZN (international). All times ET. Sources: UFC.com, CBSSports.com, MMAMania.com, Tapology. | ||||
Fight Card Times and Prelim Undercard Order
Prelims begin around 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, with the main card following at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and ringwalks for the main event projected for roughly 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT, about 4 a.m. Sunday in the United Kingdom. Those windows shift based on how the earlier bouts play out, and fans should treat every listed time as an estimate rather than a fixed schedule.
Four preliminary bouts open the broadcast. Those matchups will be Jose Ramirez against Alexis Rocha at welterweight, Pablo Rubio against Oswaldo Molina at a 132-pound catchweight, Abel Gonzalez against Raul Salomon at super middleweight, and Vlad Panin against Dakota Linger at super welterweight, according to The Tennessean. Sean Garcia opens the night against Abraham Morales at lightweight.
Ramirez, a former unified junior welterweight champion, is coming off consecutive losses to Arnold Barboza Jr. and Devin Haney and needs a statement win, according to MMA Mania. Rocha, unbeaten in his last four with a draw against Raul Curiel and a win over Joseph Diaz, represents a live threat. Every other undercard bout pits an unbeaten prospect against a more seasoned opponent, the standard blueprint for a Zuffa Boxing crew building toward bigger paydays.
Zuffa Boxing cards routinely run ahead of or behind schedule depending on how the earlier bouts resolve, so anyone attending or streaming from home should build in a cushion around every projected fight time.
Jai Opetaia and Noel Mikaelian Headline Co-Main
Unbeaten cruiserweight titleholder Jai Opetaia defends the Zuffa Boxing and Ring Magazine belts against Noel Mikaelian in the co-main event, a matchup that survived a cease-and-desist letter from Don King before Dana White confirmed the bout would proceed as scheduled, according to Sporting News. Opetaia, unbeaten at 30-0 with 23 knockouts, is a lopsided favorite at -1400 over the two-time former titleholder Mikaelian.
The rest of the main card features unbeaten heavyweight prospect Da’Mazion Vanhouter, who has stopped five straight opponents on his way to a 12-0 record, against harder-hitting veteran Raphael Akpejiori. Former featherweight champion Mark Magsayo, six fights into his comeback since back-to-back title losses, faces unbeaten lightweight Andres Cortes at 135 pounds.
Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn Fight Card Order & Bout List