Promoter Eddie Hearn says he’s waiting to hear if the winner of Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia will next face Conor Benn.
Barrios and Garcia are scheduled to fight on February 21, 2026, with the World Boxing Council welterweight title expected to be on the line. Benn is the WBC’s mandatory challenger, and Hearn said his preference is for Benn to receive the title fight immediately following that fight.
If that assurance isn’t in place, Hearn said he doesn’t want Benn to sit idle while the division resolves itself. Benn last fought in November, and Hearn said a prolonged wait without a confirmed result would be impractical as Benn approaches his 30th birthday later this year.
“Everyone calls Conor Benn,” Hearn said in comments published by Boxing in the match room. “We should only wait if we are guaranteed this fight.”
Hearn said discussions were ongoing behind the scenes, but acknowledged no decisions could be made until the Barrios-Garcia fight took place. He added that Garcia vs. Benn would be a major business event if Garcia were to qualify.
Hearn also noted that other fighters have expressed interest in facing Benn. Among them is Shakur Stevenson, who has said he will pursue Benn if successful against Teofimo Lopez later this month. Despite the outside interest, Hearn said Benn’s priority remains a WBC title opportunity.
According to Hearn, Benn has already returned to training and is preparing for the possibility of an interim fight if no guarantees are received. He said Benn would prefer to fight no later than May or June if the title shot is assured, but would act sooner if necessary.
“He’s not going to sit around and wait,” Hearn said. “He wants the WBC world title, and it’s our job to try to achieve that.”
The situation is simple. Either the path to the title is clear, or Benn is fighting when it isn’t.
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Last updated on 01/08/2026
