Conor Benn faces a mandatory medical suspension after being taken to hospital following his crushing second-round defeat by Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.
The British fighter’s dream of becoming WBC welterweight champion unravelled inside six minutes at the T-Mobile Arena, where Garcia produced a ruthless display to retain his title.
Benn, 29, was transported to hospital for precautionary examinations after referee Thomas Taylor brought the contest to an abrupt conclusion. No specific injury was immediately confirmed.
He will now be kept out of the ring temporarily under Nevada Athletic Commission rules, which impose automatic medical suspensions on boxers after sanctioned contests.
Such restrictions are standard safety measures rather than disciplinary punishments.
Even fighters who emerge unscathed can be ordered to rest for seven days, while defeated boxers commonly receive suspensions lasting between 30 and 90 days.
The precise length of Benn’s lay-off is expected to depend on the medical assessment made after his punishing night in Sin City.
Breaking his silence after the loss, the Essex fighter refused to offer any excuses and paid tribute to the man who had emphatically ended his championship challenge.
“Not my night, no excuses,” Benn wrote on social media.
“Ryan Garcia, you’re a great champion.”
Garcia claimed persistent injury problems had previously prevented him from demonstrating the full force of his right hand, but insisted he entered the contest perfectly prepared.
“I’ve always had a right hand but it’s always been injured,” the American said.
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“I was so prepared and so focused, and what a performance.
“I knew he was going to put me under pressure in the first round so I let him have his way a little bit.
“Then in the next round I stood my ground a little bit.
“He was coming in reckless and you can’t do that with me; he would have been better running around for the first three rounds.
“I’ve got thunder in both hands and they’re ready to go. I’m here, I’m the champion and I’m not going to f**k around.”
Yet Garcia’s impressive victory was accompanied by fierce debate over Taylor’s intervention, with some viewers adamant that Benn should have been given longer to recover.
“Excellent performance but another poor stoppage,” one fan complained online.
Another labelled it a “terrible stoppage”, while a third wrote: “WTF THAT WAS A TERRIBLE STOPPAGE.”
Chris Eubank Jr also swiftly reignited his bitter rivalry with Benn by mocking his opponent’s weight cut after the defeat.
“Welcome to the ‘fighting after cutting too much weight’ club… Enjoy,” Eubank Jr posted.
The pair fought twice last year as they continued the rivalry established by their famous fathers.
Eubank Jr was forced to reduce his weight to 160lb for both contests, narrowly missing the agreed limit before their first encounter but successfully making weight for the rematch.
His team will prioritise his recovery before deciding future plans in boxing.
Benn must now recover from the heaviest setback of his career before plotting when and where he can launch his return to the sport.
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