LAS VEGAS — After taking 10 years to win his first world championship, Ryan Garcia needed only 4:25 to finish off Conor Benn on Saturday night in the first defense of his WBC welterweight title.
“I kind of figured he would just come at me crazy,” Garcia said, explaining what he expected of his challenger. “Second round, I said I’m tired of him coming forward; I’m gonna stand my ground a little bit ... and then he got caught with a hellacious one."
Garcia’s sharp right hand to the jaw put Benn on the canvas early in the second round. Moments later, with the Englishman on the ropes, Garcia (26-2, 21 KOs) served a flurry of punches that prompted referee Thomas Taylor to step in and end the contest at the 1:25 mark and send the announced sold-out crowd of 18,855 into a frenzy.
”He’s exactly what I thought he was; he went in and tried to fight me. I think he needs to be a little bit more patient,” Garcia added. “I don’t think he has enough experience. I think he will be back. I have a new level of respect for him.”
Garcia closed -300 at BetMGM, meaning bettors would have had to lay $300 to win $100.
The bout was more than another high-profile main event, as it marked a career-defining crossroads for both fighters.
For Garcia, he solidified himself in the 147-pound weight class as a durable, legitimate titleholder rather than a gifted attraction whose career has often been defined by controversy, inconsistency and unrealized potential.
The convincing victory positioned Garcia for a lucrative welterweight fight against the division’s other leading names, including Teofimo Lopez, who was ringside, or another major showdown with Devin Haney, who was also in attendance.
For the 29-year-old Benn (25-2), it’s likely back to the middleweight division after failing in his first world-title opportunity and a chance to escape the considerable shadow of his father, former two-division champion Nigel Benn.
Benn was transported to a hospital after the fight for observation.
In the co-main event, Jai Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs) patiently weathered several cagey rounds before stopping Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round of their scheduled 12-round lineal cruiserweight championship fight.
Opetaia stunned Mikaelian (28-4) with a multi-punch combination and two crushing hooks, then sent him backward into the ropes with a powerful right hand. Referee Harvey Dock administered a standing eight-count before determining Mikaelian could not continue, ending the competitive fight by TKO at 1:30.
Da’Mazion Vanhouter (13-0, 10 KOs) wasted no time in his scheduled 8-round heavyweight bout, delivering a crushing right hand at the 1:58 mark of the first round for a knockout of Raphael Akpejiori (19-4).
In the 10-round lightweight bout that opened the main card, Andres Cortes (26-0) retained his belt with a unanimous decision over Mark Magsayo (29-3), with all three judges scoring the fight 97-93.
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