Conor Benn has revealed he gained 32lb in just 12 hours after making the welterweight limit for his WBC title fight against Ryan Garcia.
The 29-year-old Briton weighed 10st 6lb (66kg) at Friday’s official weigh-in, half a pound heavier than Garcia, who comfortably made the required limit.
The weigh-in was held behind closed doors at the UFC Apex, but Benn later revealed on social media that he had increased his weight to 12st 10lb (81.65kg), highlighting the dramatic physical change ahead of Saturday’s fight.
Benn appeared noticeably bigger during the ceremonial event later on Friday, with his face and shoulders visibly fuller.
“Did it look hard? How did I look?” Benn said. “We’ll see tomorrow night how good I really feel.”
The significant weight gain comes after a difficult fight week for Benn, who had previously admitted that making the welterweight limit had pushed him to the “pits of hell”.
The British fighter has not competed at the 10st 7lb welterweight limit for more than four years. His two fights against Chris Eubank Jr were contested at middleweight, while he weighed 10st 10lb (69kg) for his victory over Regis Prograis in April.
Benn has also said he intends to vacate the WBC title and return to a higher weight division if he defeats Garcia.
Garcia, meanwhile, will make the first defence of the WBC welterweight title he won with a points victory over Mario Barrios in February.
The 28-year-old American has won 25 of his 28 professional fights, including 20 by knockout, while suffering two defeats and recording one no-contest. Benn enters the contest with 25 wins, including 14 knockouts, and one defeat.
There had been some concern that Garcia might also struggle to make weight because of previous issues on the scales. He was more than three pounds over the light-welterweight limit before his 2024 fight against Devin Haney.
However, there was no repeat of those problems as Garcia arrived at the scales around 10 minutes after Benn and comfortably made the limit.
The contrasting styles of the two fighters make the weight difference particularly significant. Benn is known for his aggression, explosive attacks and relentless pressure, while Garcia possesses exceptional speed and a dangerous counter-punching game.
Benn’s ability to recover after the weight cut could therefore play a crucial role. If the process has left him drained, Garcia could use his speed and powerful left hook to exploit any weakness.
However, with no rehydration clause in place, Benn’s significant increase in weight could also give him a physical advantage when the two fighters enter the ring.
Despite being regarded as the underdog, Benn will be hoping his size, strength and aggressive style can help him produce a major upset and claim his first world title.
