Teofimo Lopez believes Conor Benn has a genuine chance to upset Ryan Garcia when they meet on September 12. Although Teofimo praised Garcia for his dominant victory over Mario Barrios, he admitted he does not know which version of Ryan will show up, leaving him leaning toward a Benn upset.
Benn’s relentless work ethic is what convinced the former two-division champion that the British contender has a real chance to pull the upset.
“I think we’re going to get an example of what it is. You always hear the saying where they say it’s easier to get the belt, but then it’s harder to keep it, right? Maybe Ryan right now might find out that. Ideally, in the business aspect, everyone wants to see Ryan win,” said Teofimo to Sean Zittel. “But Conor Benn is hungry. He’s in there. He’s in the gym every day. He’s speaking Spanish to the man, and he’s not even Hispanic. I think those things show the determination and what it means to Conor Benn. When he didn’t look so great against Eubank the first time, he came back with vengeance the second time. Conor Benn is no pushover, man. Look, I said it before, I think Conor Benn might pull the upset. We just have to wait and see.”
Garcia’s dominant performance against Mario Barrios also factored into his thinking. Teofimo said that version of Ryan would be extremely difficult to beat, but he is not convinced the same fighter will appear on September 12.
His support for Benn also comes with a personal incentive. Teofimo said he is rooting for the British contender because a victory would improve the chances of landing a future fight in the United Kingdom. He added that either Benn or Garcia would be an attractive opponent after his August 22 WBA welterweight title fight against Rolando Romero.
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Last Updated on 2026/08/06 at 12:56 AM
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