Chris Eubank Jr delivered a savage social media jab at bitter rival Conor Benn within moments of watching him suffer a devastating second-round TKO defeat to WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas on Saturday evening.
The 36-year-old took to X to post an 11-word message that quickly went viral: “Welcome to the ‘fighting after cutting too much weight’ club… Enjoy.”
The barb was a pointed reference to Eubank Jr’s own well-publicised difficulties boiling down to the 160lb middleweight limit for his two bouts against Benn in 2025. He had long maintained that the weight drain compromised his performance, particularly in their November rematch.
Eubank Jr had already made his allegiances clear earlier on Saturday, sharing a photograph of himself alongside Garcia with the message: “Get the job done kid.” Garcia duly obliged in emphatic fashion.
Garcia’s first defence of the title he claimed from Mario Barrios in February proved ruthlessly efficient, lasting barely four and a half minutes in front of 18,855 spectators at the T-Mobile Arena.
The opening round was a lively affair, with Benn landing a solid body shot but walking onto a pair of Garcia’s trademark left hooks. Early in the second, a sharp right hand from the American sent the 29-year-old Briton crashing to the canvas.
Though Benn beat the count, he was unable to regain his composure with so much of the round remaining. Garcia pounced with a sustained assault, pinning his opponent against the ropes until referee Thomas Taylor intervened to halt proceedings.
It was Benn’s maiden world title challenge and only his second professional defeat — his first by stoppage. Garcia, now 26-2, recorded his first stoppage victory since 2023.
Conor Benn was thrashed by Ryan Garcia on Saturday night
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Benn’s return to the 147lb welterweight division represented a gruelling physical challenge. He had not competed at the weight since facing Chris van Heerden in April 2022, having fought at middleweight and at a 150lb catchweight against former super-lightweight world champion Regis Prograis.
He tipped the scales at 10st 6lb at Friday’s weigh-in, but reports emerged that he piled on a remarkable 32.4lbs within hours of rehydrating.
Before the bout, Benn spoke candidly to BBC Sport about the toll the cut had taken. “It feels like I’ve been dragged down to the pits of hell, had a fight with Satan and God brought me back to life,” he said.
“Making weight has been the hardest thing I’ve done.”
He insisted, however, that he would not complain. “I won’t moan when I’m getting paid a fortune to headline in Vegas for a world title. I know what I signed up for.”
Eubank Jr’s own ordeal with the scales ahead of their first meeting in April 2025 was severe enough to prompt disciplinary action. The British Boxing Board of Control fined him £375,000 after he narrowly missed the 160lb middleweight limit, with allegations surfacing about sauna use during the cut. He was permitted to fight only because he fell within the 170lb rehydration clause.
He secured a unanimous decision victory in that first bout but appeared visibly sapped in the November rematch, which Benn won comfortably on the cards.
When asked before the Garcia fight whether he sympathised with Eubank Jr’s weight complaints, Benn was dismissive. “He got paid an absolute fortune,” he said. “You’re talking to somebody who’s not made the weight for four and a half years. Am I moaning? Do you see me posting for sympathy, or some sob story? No. I get on with it.”
Ryan Garcia made light work of Conor Benn, who looked a total mismatch
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The rivalry between the two men now stands level at one victory apiece, raising the prospect of a decisive third encounter. Their feud echoes that of their fathers — Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn fought twice in the 1990s — though a trilogy would surpass it.
Benn is widely expected to abandon the welterweight division permanently. It was reported he was taken to a local hospital after the fight as a precaution. A return to middleweight appears the most realistic option going forward.
In a brief post on X after the defeat, Benn was gracious: “Not my night, no excuses. @RyanGarcia you’re a great champion.”
Garcia, meanwhile, praised his opponent. “I want to thank Conor for a great build-up and a great match, I respect him,” the 28-year-old said. “147lb is my division. I’m here, you can trust me as a champion.”
