Devin Haney admitted Ryan Garcia’s rapid destruction of Conor Benn surprised him, then made it clear that he wants another fight with the new WBC welterweight champion.
Ryan (26-2, 21 KOs) dropped Benn with an overhand right and forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the fight at 1:25 of the second round Saturday night. Haney expected Ryan’s speed to trouble Benn but did not anticipate such a fast ending.
“I was surprised. Ryan is naturally explosive, and Conor didn’t have that much,” Haney said in an interview moments after the Garcia-Benn fight. “I think he was trying to be too aggressive, and he wasn’t defensively sound enough.”
That diagnosis was accurate. Benn charged forward without controlling distance or protecting himself from Ryan’s fastest weapon. Once Ryan found the opening for his left hook and overhand right, Benn’s aggression turned him into an easy target.
The conversation then turned toward a second Garcia-Haney fight. When told that he was the opponent Ryan should face next, Haney replied, “We’re going to do it.”
Ryan has publicly favored a fight with Teofimo Lopez, even inviting him into the ring after beating Benn. Haney still has the stronger personal history with him. Their April 2024 fight produced three knockdowns of Haney and a majority decision for Ryan before the result was changed to a no contest.
A rematch at 147 pounds would also carry legitimate title value. Ryan owns the WBC belt, while Haney holds the WBO championship. That makes it a two-belt unification rather than the undisputed fight suggested during the interview.
Haney now has to push harder than he did Saturday night. Saying “we’re going to do it” is a start, but Ryan has another target in mind. If Haney wants revenge, he must give Ryan a financial reason to choose him over Teofimo.
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Last Updated on 2026/09/13 at 1:03 AM
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