Ryan Garcia completed the first defense of his WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. His victory capped off a Zuffa Boxing card built around two men turning their past drug-testing suspensions and out-of-ring drama into a career payday.
Garcia took care of business, much like his performance against Mario Barrios in February and continued his history of taking massive paychecks home. Benn also holds a solid box-office value.
So, there was little doubt their backgrounds brought a massive payday to the table, although official records do not yet confirm the exact paycheck each fighter received.
Purse Reports for Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn Remain Unofficial
Nevada no longer requires public purse disclosures, so the final financial figures for Garcia-Benn remain estimates. Reports from The Guardian place the combined purse at around $30 million, with each fighter expected to take home approximately $15 million. While this represents a clean 50-50 split on paper, neither fighter’s exact guaranteed payout is official.
People first heard these numbers in February when reporters asked TKO President Mark Shapiro about the rumored eight-figure payout. Shapiro clarified the financial backing behind the Zuffa Boxing deal, stating, “I would add to the reported purse, which was around $15 million, that Conor will be paid for this super fight in 2026, is not TKO going out of pocket. Sela, led by our great partner Turki Alalshikh, is covering the purse.”
Benn himself dismissed any deeper motivation before the deal came together, saying, “If they say, ‘Here’s $15 million,’ no problem. That’s it. But there’s no motivation apart from money in that fight.”
Garcia reportedly made $30 million against Gervonta Davis in 2023, another $30 million against Devin Haney in 2024, and $20 million when he won the WBC belt from Mario Barrios. Against that backdrop, a $15 million night against Benn sits below his career peak.
However, the financial context changes with Benn. His two fights with Chris Eubank Jr. paid roughly $10 million each. Meanwhile, his first Zuffa card against Regis Prograis matched the $15 million figure tied to the Garcia fight. Securing another $15 million purse against a major attraction keeps Benn at his peak earning potential.
Aftermath of Las Vegas Fight
The physical and competitive fallout, however, paints a much sharper picture. Zuffa Boxing promoter Dana White confirmed that Conor Benn went to a local hospital for precautionary medical examinations following the second-round stoppage. Though the loss dents Benn’s record, he leaves with a career-high payday, and White noted they would discuss the challenger’s future after he rests with his family.
For Garcia, the night solidified his status as boxing’s biggest active draw. During his post-fight presser, he revealed that Benn shared respectful words with him in the locker room, putting their pre-fight bad blood to rest.
With his WBC welterweight title secured, Garcia wasted no time mapping out his next move. Looking ahead to what he previously teased as a massive “Golden Boy Sendoff” fight, he called out his bigger fish, WBO champion Teofimo Lopez, for a potential bout.
