Dana White there were no major problems with the controversial shutdown Ryan Garciasuccessful title defense against Conor Benn.
Garcia demolished Benn in less than five minutes Zuffa Boxing main event last night (Saturday, September 12, 2026), scored a second-round TKO at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada (watch the highlights).
After a competitive opening frame, “King Ryan” caught Benn with a perfectly timed right hand on the way early in the 2nd round, sending the British challenger crashing to the canvas. Benn beat the referee’s count but was badly injured when Garcia pummeled him with punches.
Benn covered up and tried to weather the storm, but the ref Tom Taylor stepped between the fighters and waved at 1:25 of the welterweight title fight. The stoppage immediately drew mixed reactions, as Benn was still standing and appeared to be defending himself intelligently — even if he wasn’t offering much offense in return.
In the post-fight press conference, White admitted that Taylor may have interfered a little early, but defended the referee’s decision.
In other words, White didn’t seem interested in accusing Taylor of defending a fighter who had just been brutally knocked out and was taking unanswered punches.
It is worth noting that Benn did not protest the shutdown.
The victory marked Garcia’s first successful defense of the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title and improved his professional record to 26-2 (1 NC). It was also his first stoppage victory after a knockout Oscar Duarte in December 2023.
Benn, meanwhile, suffered the first knockout loss of his pro career and fell to 25-2. Whether Taylor threw a few punches too early is up for debate, but Garcia was well on her way to ending the show regardless.
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