Ryan Garcia failed to appear alongside Conor Benn at their scheduled face-off in Las Vegas ahead of Saturday's WBC welterweight title fight, leaving Benn to be joined only by his father, former boxer Nigel Benn. Benn accused Garcia of "bottling it", while Garcia mocked his opponent on Instagram over his weight cut, keeping tensions high before what will be Benn's first world title contest.

Garcia, the 28-year-old WBC champion, is favourite for Saturday's bout at the T-Mobile Arena, with a formal news conference and weigh-in still to follow on Thursday and Friday respectively. Much of the pre-fight focus has been on Benn's ability to make 10st 7lb (67kg), a limit he has not fought at since 2022 after recent bouts at heavier weights against Chris Eubank Jr and Regis Prograis. Elsewhere on the card, Jai Opetaia's cruiserweight clash with Noel Mikaelian has been complicated by a legal dispute, after promoter Don King sent Zuffa Boxing a cease-and-desist letter claiming an exclusive deal with Mikaelian, though Dana White insists the fight will go ahead.