Carl Froch makes new KO prediction for Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn: “He’s going to hurt him”

Conor Benn is seeking to capture his first world title against Ryan Garcia this weekend, and three-time super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch has provided his final prediction for the fight.

A 15-time national amateur champion, Garcia has been tipped for the top since his pro debut in 2016, but it took until this year for the Californian to get his hands on world honours; dethroning Mario Barrios to claim the WBC welterweight crown back in February.

Meanwhile, Benn has often been criticised for not pursuing the traditional route, but he was controversially installed as the WBC’s mandatory challenger earlier this year, when he announced that he would be returning to 147lbs for the first time since April 2022.

The pair are set to collide in a high-profile showdown this weekend and speaking with The Sun Sport, Froch admitted that he ‘cannot see Benn winning the fight’, believing Garcia to be a level above the Essex-born contender.

“I wouldn’t say that Ryan Garcia is the upper echelon of the elite level as a professional boxer but he is still a world champ. He is a very good fighter, he is fantastic and he has got loads of experience. I just think that is going to be far too much for somebody of Conor’s level, but don’t write off Conor’s self-belief, discipline and work ethic.“

“I can’t see him winning this fight, but that’s not because I don’t want him to win it, of course I want him to win it, he is British, it’s Conor Benn and I am a massive fan.”

‘The Cobra’ then went on to reveal his concerns regarding Benn’s return to welterweight – which will be his final outing at 147lbs – and whether he will be able to absorb a clean shot from Garcia, predicting that the contest could be over faster than many anticipate.

“I don’t know how Conor beats him at this weight, at 147lbs, because he doesn’t look like a big puncher down at 150/154. Now he is down at 147 and he looks like a bald chicken, he looks like Gollum; all drained and scrawny like he is going to snap.“

“He has got to go in there with Ryan Garcia, who is really lightening fast, a good counter-puncher, he can punch like f**k, he is going to hurt him.”

“He is not punching hard below 160 and his punch resistance, we are going to find out, because he [Garcia] will clip him with a hook on the way in. Conor will leap in and leave his feet behind, he will be all eager and he will walk onto a hook.“

“If he can take that, he has got a chance in the fight, but if he starts wobbling early doors, it won’t go past four rounds.”

Garcia-Benn goes ahead on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Jai Opetaia taking on reigning WBC cruiserweight world champion Noel Mikaelian in the co-main event.