Conor Benn has released a statement regarding what comes next following his loss to Ryan Garcia.

Benn boiled back down to the welterweight limit for the first time in four years, taking his opportunity as mandatory challenger for Garcia’s WBC belt.

There was to be no upset in Las Vegas, however, as Garcia stopped the Brit in the second round, dropping him once with a flush right hand before forcing referee Thomas Taylor to step in and wave the contest off during the ensuing attack.

Benn did not speak post-fight, instead being transported to hospital for standard checks.

This morning on social media, the 29-year-old has posted to thank fans and address his future in the sport.

Everybody keeps asking “What’s next for Conor Benn?”

The truth is, I don’t have the answer.

If you’d asked the 19 year old version of me whether I thought I’d be standing here ten years later, having lived through everything I have, I’d have told you that you were crazy.

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I train hard. I sacrifice. I’ve given this game 110% every time I’ve stepped through those ropes, I’ve wanted to give people unforgettable nights and entertain.

That’s what this has always been about for me.

People spend their hard earned money to come and watch guys like us fight. I’ve never taken that for granted. I’ve always wanted to be a servant of the public and give everything I have when it matters.

But giving everything comes at a cost.

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And the people who have paid that cost more than anyone are my family and my kids.

They’ve sacrificed time with their Dad so I could chase this dream. They’ve had to share me with this sport their entire lives.

So when people ask me what’s next for Conor Benn, right now the answer is simple.

Time with my kids.

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Fight fans, thank you. Those who travelled to Vegas, those who stayed up until the early hours. I will never take your support for granted, especially on those nights things don’t go to plan.

Assuming Benn returns to the ring, which is the likelihood, he has said he will be moving up in weight.

Tony Bellew has urged Conor Benn to face one man next as he calls it “madness” that ‘The Destroyer’ is even thinking about competing with the best at 168lbs.

The 29-year-old entered his first world title fight on Saturday, moving back down to 147lbs in an attempt to dethrone WBC champion Ryan Garcia.

Having not competed at welterweight in over four years, Benn documented his struggles throughout the build-up and said on multiple occasions that, in future, he would rather campaign at middle or super-middleweight.

Ultimately, though, it was the glaring skill disparity between him and Garcia that contributed to a second-round stoppage defeat at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

The difference in speed, too, was strikingly apparent as Garcia floored his man with a right hand before inspiring referee Thomas Taylor to draw an appropriate halt.

In that sense, their contest hardly progressed to a point where Benn’s performance suffered as a result of him making 147lbs, albeit with him claiming to have gained over 30lbs after the weigh-in.

It does seem that he is considering a move up to 168lbs, however, with former world champion Bellew explaining on DAZN that even competing with the best at 160lbs would be a step too far and that he should instead look to make the Chris Eubank Jr trilogy.

“It’s really hard because, at 168[lbs], could you imagine trying to put Conor Benn against [WBO champion] Hamzah Sheeraz?

“It’s just not viable; it’s just not realistic. Super-middleweights are big monsters and they come down to make weight. If 147[lbs] is not for you then do 154[lbs] tops. It’s madness [for him to fight at 160 or 168lbs].

“What 160[lb] fighter can he beat? If I’m Conor Benn, I’m heading towards the Eubank Jr trilogy. If I’m being honest, that’s the one that makes the most sense.”

Benn entered two middleweight encounters with Chris Eubank Jr last year, losing their first contest before winning a unanimous decision in November.

Former India cricketer Madan Lal reacted after the Indian women’s cricket team did not accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi after winning the title on Sunday.Harmanpreet Kaur-led India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. However, the Indian players did not come out for the post-match presentation ceremony.

Madan Lal reacts to Asia Cup trophy controversy

Madan, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, questioned the decision and said India should avoid playing Pakistan if such situations continue.“Once again same old story. If we are going to behave like this then we should not play Pakistan any trophies. I know its Board decision,” Madan said.The Asia Cup trophy controversy has continued for the second year in a row.

India women skip trophy presentation

The Indian women’s team did not return to the field for the trophy presentation after their title win.India’s decision came a year after the men’s team also refused to receive the Asia Cup trophy and medals from Naqvi.Naqvi is the ACC chairman and also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board. He is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan.

India still without men’s Asia Cup trophy

The Indian men’s team had won the Asia Cup last year but did not accept the trophy from Naqvi.India are yet to receive the trophy, which has since been kept at the ACC office.The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team instead celebrated on the presentation dais without the physical trophy.

Sri Lanka accept runners-up awards

Unlike the Indian team, the Sri Lankan players accepted their runners-up cheque from Naqvi. Before that, all the Sri Lankan players and support staff received medals from Sri Lanka Cricket interim chief Eran Wikramaratne.Naqvi left the stadium immediately after presenting the award to Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu.

Welcome to the Week 1 grades. 

The start of the 2026 season is here, and like we do every year, we’re going to be grading every game that’s played between now and January. 

The first week of the season always seems to get a little crazy, and this year was no exception. In the early games on Sunday, we saw the Saints claw back from a 21-0 deficit to force overtime against the Lions, only to lose on a two-point conversion attempt. We also saw the Bears and Panthers make NFL history by combining for 96 points, the highest total ever in a Week 1 game (and a Scoragami!). 

And then there was the Browns, who lost to the Jaguars 34-10. OK, that one wasn’t crazy, because as you may or may not have noticed, the Browns almost never win in Week 1. Since returning to the NFL in 1999, the Browns are now 3-24-1 in the opening week of the season. 

The Browns never came close to pulling off the upset, but there is one team that pulled off a massive upset in Week 1: The Arizona Cardinals. The Cards were the biggest underdog of the opening week at +9.5, but they still managed to go into Los Angeles and pull of a total shocker with a 26-14 win over the Chargers. 

Of course, the biggest shock of Week 1 might have been the fact that that Jets and Giants BOTH won, marking the first time since 2009 that both teams won their opener in the same season. 

Speaking of big wins, one of the biggest victories in Week 1 came in Houston, where Josh Allen won on the road against the Texans for the first time. That’s where we’re going to start our Week 1 grades. 

NOTE: More grades will be added as games finish.

Buffalo 36-31 over Houston 

N.Y. Giants 28-20 over Dallas

Arizona 26-14 L.A. Chargers

Minnesota 39-22 over Green Bay

Philadelphia 24-22 over Washington

Las Vegas 27-13 over Miami

Cincinnati 33-27 over Tampa Bay

Detroit 31-30 over New Orleans in OT

N.Y. Jets 23-10 over Tennessee

Baltimore 41-23 over Indianapolis 

Pittsburgh 20-13 over Atlanta

Chicago 59-37 over Carolina

Jacksonville 34-10 over Cleveland

San Francisco 27-7 over L.A. Rams (Thursday)

Seattle 13-10 over New England (Wednesday)

Conor Benn was never in Saturday’s fight for a world title with Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.

It was odd to watch, a simple victory for Garcia after just 85 seconds of round two in front of a boisterous crowd of 18,855 at the T-Mobile Arena. Nobody expected it to be so easy, so quick and so strange. At the end, Garcia looked as stunned as the man he had left dazed and hurt on the ropes.

“He’s an average fighter,” Garcia said all week during the relentless marketing of the fight. Benn won the clashes during the week, by the way, but not one second of the fight for Garcia’s WBC welterweight title on the night.

It was odd to watch Benn look so passive.

Benn is not the first British fighter to go to America and challenge for a genuine and impressive world title against a good champion, and he will not be the last. British boxers have left behind images of bravery, often foolish determination, in a series of fights that were all lost causes long before the first bell.

Benn joined the distinguished list, climbing up from a knockdown and trying even at the end to stay in the fight, as about 20 unanswered punches landed somewhere above his shoulders.

It was desperate to watch the finish, such bravery from Benn. He had no idea that an opponent could ever be that much better, and that is an alarming realisation that quality fighters experience when they are exposed. And it is a shattering experience for the loser.

The finest example is a man called Don Cockell, perhaps the king of British losers in world-title fights in America.

In 1955, he travelled to San Francisco to fight Rocky Marciano for the world heavyweight title. Poor Don was dropped, hit when he was down, hit after the bell, never in the fight for a moment, hit low a dozen times (legal under local rules), butted, slammed with elbows and ruined in nine rounds. Marciano, you see, benefitted from a local rule that a man could not be disqualified – not for any infringement!

Cockell, with his face held together by stitches and plasters, returned to Battersea as a hero for his defiance. Marciano had one more defence and retired as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world after 49 nine fights without loss.

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Cockell was in rare company, make no mistake; Garcia is fast, dangerous and cruel in the ring, but he is not Rocky.

Before the massacre back in 1955, the local press called Cockell “a dogged tub of fat” and “a tubby target”. Marciano led the praise after victory; in Las Vegas last week, Benn was never dismissed in such savage fashion. In defeat, it was more brutal.

Benn has no clear idea about what happens next in his extraordinary career, and that is good – he can just rest and spend time with his family, hold his children. He has few visible scars; he can work on the hidden ones over the next few months.

Cockell was just 26 that night against Marciano; it was his 79th fight, and he would walk away from the sport after two more fights – both ugly stoppage defeats. Benn is now 29, the Garcia defeat was fight number 27; he has time, money and the magic of modern matchmaking to help him heal and get back in contention.

It’s not an impossible journey, but it will be hard after the secret damage left behind by Garcia’s blistering fists.

Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image credit: Agencies)

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has questioned India’s decision to pick Sanju Samson ahead of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the first T20I against Afghanistan.Samson returned to the Indian team but managed only 10 runs off nine balls as India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.Sooryavanshi was among India’s best performers on their recent tour of Zimbabwe. The 15-year-old was named Player of the Series after India completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep.The youngster also scored runs for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026. However, he was left out of India’s playing XI for the first T20I against Afghanistan.

Samson over Sooryavanshi

India had to choose between Sooryavanshi and Samson after the latter returned to the squad. Samson had missed the Zimbabwe tour and was also dropped from the playing XI midway through the series in England.Samson opened the innings with Abhishek Sharma against Afghanistan. The pair added 18 runs in 2.1 overs before Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed Samson.

Kaif questions Samson’s selection

Kaif questioned the decision to pick Samson over Sooryavanshi, especially as Samson had not played competitive cricket after being left out of India’s squad for the Zimbabwe tour.“What did Sanju do to play the first T20I? When you are dropped from the team, you play in different tournaments to return to form, but nothing like that happened in Samson’s case. Why didn’t you opt for the Abhishek and Suryavanshi combination after the young batter did well in Zimbabwe? They are not sure about their best opening combination. The Indian team is still thinking about their openers. Vaibhav must have felt bad as he didn’t do anything wrong. This could lead to confusion, which is not good for any team,” Kaif said on Cricbuzz.The former India cricketer also felt the decision showed that the team management was still unsure about its preferred opening combination.“In my opinion, they are hesitating a bit; they are unsure of what their best opening combination is. The Indian team are still thinking about it. Vaibhav must be saying what did I do wrong? So this is a state of confusion going on, there is no doubt about it,” he added.

Sanju Samson under pressure after another low score

Samson has struggled for runs since India’s 2026 T20 World Cup final. He has scored 43 runs at an average of 8.60 since then. He was expected to play in the Kerala Cricket League after being dropped from the national team but opted out at the last moment due to personal reasons.The Kerala batter had also scored only 33 runs in four innings before the Afghanistan series.With Sooryavanshi waiting for an opportunity, Samson will be under pressure to score runs and retain his place at the top of the order.

Abhishek Sharma powers India to victory

India, however, made a strong start to the Afghanistan series with a seven-wicket victory.After restricting Afghanistan to 156/8, Abhishek Sharma smashed 82 off 32 balls to lead India’s chase. The hosts reached the target in just 13.4 overs. Ishan Kishan also made an important contribution after overcoming a minor back injury scare during training. He scored 42 off 33 balls, with five fours and a six.Abhishek’s aggressive knock also helped him answer questions about his recent form.India and Afghanistan will face each other in the second T20I on Tuesday.

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Paris Saint-Germain secured their first win of the season away at Brest (1-0), bringing the fourth matchday of Ligue 1 to a close. Ferran Torres, who remains in fine form, scored the only goal of the match (5′).

Britain’s Tom Aspinall has vacated his UFC heavyweight title because of complications in his recovery from an eye injury.

The 33-year-old has not fought since October, when the first defence of his title against Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest following several eye pokes.

Aspinall was diagnosed with a rare eye condition, and has had persistent double vision and several operations.

“I am absolutely gutted. I have chased this dream since I was 10 years old,” he said in a statement.

“I know what it’s like to have your career put on hold and I want the other fighters to have the opportunity to compete for the title.”

In June Aspinall said he had returned to full training for a rematch with France’s Gane and suggested they could fight in September.

In August Aspinall rejected reports that he would leave the UFC.

“I am not done. Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream,” he said on Monday.

“I will continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible.”

UFC president Dana White hinted over the weekend that Aspinall could be stripped of the title.

This month Valentina Shevchenko vacated the women’s flyweight title because of persistent injuries.

Gane beat Alex Pereira to win the interim heavyweight title in June before calling for a rematch with Aspinall.

Ryan Garcia has assessed Conor Benn’s performance at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, highlighting a critical mistake that contributed to his stoppage defeat.

The pair collided last weekend, with Garcia making a first defence of his WBC world title after dethroning Mario Barrios in February.

Benn, meanwhile, was widely considered to be a sizable underdog, having not made 147lbs in over four years and never proven his credentials at even domestic level.

It therefore came as no real surprise that Garcia won inside the distance; only the manner in which he went about his business was perhaps somewhat unexpected.

While many anticipated Benn lasting a few rounds, on account of his heart and durability, it ended up being a one-sided demolition job in favour of Garcia.

Immediately, the 28-year-old’s advantages in speed and class became apparent, with Benn ultimately succumbing to a crushing right hand in round two.

Referee Thomas Taylor then waved proceedings off around 20 seconds later, just as Garcia seemed on the verge of inflicting serious damage.

Speaking on the DAZN broadcast afterwards, the American said it was Benn’s lack of poise that allowed him to capitalise in such destructive fashion.

“I was so prepared and so focused – what a performance. The first round I knew he was going to apply mad pressure. I caught him a few times and I let him have his way, but the second round I stood my ground a little more and knew [I would catch him], because he was coming in reckless and you can’t do that against me.”

With Garcia retaining his welterweight title, he must enter one more fight with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy before becoming a free agent and exploring opportunities elsewhere.

Man United have taken four points from their opening four Premier League matches of the season after defeat to Manchester City in the derby

Manchester United are licking their wounds after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford. Controversy surrounded Erling Haaland’s winner for City. Pro Ref released a statement afterwards admitting the goal should have been ruled out because Enzo Fernandez was interfering with play from an offside position.

However, that goal cannot mask the disappointment of the performance. On 23 minutes, Phil Foden was sent off for City after he lashed out at Bruno Fernandes. But despite having a man advantage, United struggled to make it count.

Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo clipped the post from long range and Bryan Mbeumo was denied in second-half stoppage time by a brilliant Gianluigi Donnarumma save. Those opportunities amounted to the Reds’ best chances of the game and, worryingly for Michael Carrick, City probably deserved the win on the balance of play.

In his post-match press conference, Carrick was hesitant to criticise his players. “That’s just part of the creation, I think, a little bit,” he said when asked why United reverted to long-range efforts against City. “Like I said, I can’t be too critical of the players and I won’t be, because I think we’ve done a lot of good things in that area particularly. So today we didn’t quite find what we needed.

“In terms of creation and scoring goals, that’s something I think all the games we’ve won here, we’ve scored at least two goals, and we’ve lost one game and we scored in that game. So it’s the first time, so I think there’s certainly a bit of context in that as well.

“Whatever reason, at some point, you have a game when we haven’t scored, so I can’t be too critical of the players, because I think we’ve got some really good creative players who’ve scored and created goals a lot. I think when we look at it as an isolated game, yeah, of course, we would hope for more in general from the team, and we certainly wanted to score a goal, and we didn’t today.”

In the wake of the Premier League defeat, we want you to tell us where you think United will finish in 2026/27. Have your say below: