Ryan Garcia says a hotel-room brawl hurt his right hand more than his latest world-title defense against Conor Benn, adding an unusual twist to his first fight since winning the WBC welterweight title.
Garcia stopped Benn in the second round at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 12, but said he injured his hand the following night during a bare-knuckle fight with a friend. “I hurt my hand more so fighting somebody on Sunday night [after the fight], Garcia told Ariel Helwani. He wanted that work, so I gave it to him. Easy work. A couple scratches, but it’s all good.”
Ryan Garcia Describes Hotel-Room Fight
Garcia said the hand injury came from the hotel-room fight rather than the Conor Benn fight. He described the other person as someone who “wanted that work” and said he agreed to fight him.
Garcia said the exchange was easy and resulted in only a few scratches. He also showed bruised knuckles during the interview. Subsequent reporting identified the other man as a friend rather than a professional boxer.
Garcia did not describe the incident as a serious fight. Instead, he presented it as a quick bare-knuckle exchange between two people who wanted to fight. He also did not apologize or change his account during the interview.
The timing made the story notable because Garcia had just completed a world-title defense. Rather than spending the entire post-fight period focused on recovery, Garcia said he used some of his remaining energy in an unofficial fight.
Ryan Garcia Stops Conor Benn in Second Round
Ryan Garcia entered the Conor Benn fight as the WBC welterweight champion after winning the title from Mario Barrios earlier in the year. Benn moved up in weight for his world-title opportunity and started the fight by pressing forward.
Garcia responded with left hooks before landing a right hand that dropped Benn early in the second round. Benn got back to his feet, but Garcia quickly put him under pressure again.
Garcia pinned Benn against the ropes, forcing the referee to stop the fight at 1:25 of the second round. The bout lasted just over four and a half minutes.
After the Conor Benn fight, Garcia said he expected Benn to come forward and decided to stand his ground. He also called out Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney for possible future high-profile fights.
The victory left Garcia with a 26-2 record and 21 knockouts. It also strengthened his position for bigger welterweight fights.
Ryan Garcia’s Hand Injury Could Matter
Garcia said the damage to his right hand was limited, describing it as “a couple of scratches” and saying he was fine. However, no official medical update after the interview confirmed the injury’s extent.
That leaves the condition of Garcia’s hand as one detail to watch before his next fight. A professional boxer’s hands are especially important during training and competition, even when an injury appears minor.
Garcia’s comments also added another chapter to his public image. He has often blended his boxing career with a direct, sometimes humorous social-media presence. This time, he openly discussed getting into a bare-knuckle fight shortly after defending his world title.
For now, Garcia remains the WBC welterweight champion. His next opponent, his next fight date, and the condition of his right hand will determine whether the hotel-room brawl remains a strange post-fight story or becomes a bigger issue for his boxing career.
Ryan Garcia Reveals He Got Into a Bare-Knuckle Brawl on Sunday Night After the Fight