Conor Benn answered the biggest question surrounding his return to welterweight by weighing 146 pounds for Ryan Garcia, almost a full pound below the limit.

Benn left nothing to chance after months of questions over whether he could get back down to 147 pounds. But what happened after he stepped off the scales made the weight debate even more interesting.

DAZN reported Benn at 178.4 pounds after rehydrating, a staggering 32.4-pound difference from his official weight.

If accurate, the difference between Benn’s official and reported weights was more than 22 percent of his weigh-in body weight.

Benn Gains 32.4 Pounds

That’s where the real concern over Benn’s weight begins.

Coming in almost a full pound under the limit showed there was no appetite to take any chances by getting close to 147.

Questions had already been raised about what getting back down to welterweight would take.

Former opponent Regis Prograis previously said Benn “looks small” and hoped the weight was not “draining him already” after seeing his transformation ahead of the Garcia fight.

Those concerns were addressed when Benn stepped on the scales with room to spare. However, the DAZN figure showed the other side of making welterweight.

Zuffa Boxing received approval from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for an unusually early 9 a.m. PT official weigh-in, giving Benn and Garcia considerably more time to eat, drink, rehydrate and recover before fight night.

For Benn, DAZN’s reported second weight represented an extraordinary change from his official weigh-in figure.

Reaction was immediate. One commenter asked, “How is that possible to do after a couple of hours?” Another wanted someone to “explain how he gained 32 lbs in a few hours.”

Weight Cutting Dangers

Benn did nothing wrong. He made the contracted weight and did it comfortably.

The wider issue is what fighters continue to put their bodies through to make those limits.

The Association of Ringside Physicians has warned that rapid weight loss and dehydration can affect cardiovascular and neurological function, among other areas. The organization has also stated that proper rehydration can take hours or even days.

That warning puts Benn’s dramatic change into perspective. Fighters can make the required limit, begin replacing everything lost during the cut and enter the ring considerably heavier than they were on the official scales.

The early weigh-in gave Benn even more time to recover, but it does not change what his two reported weights say about the process required to compete at welterweight.

Benn did everything required of him and comfortably made the limit. The concern is how far fighters continue to push their bodies to get there in the first place.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

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