The WBC welterweight champion predicted Lopez would last at least five rounds longer than Benn, but Garcia believes he would ultimately meet the same fate as the opponent he knocked out Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

“I knock Teo out, [in] Round 7 or 8,” Garcia stated during his post-fight press conference.

Garcia (26-2, 21 KOs) and Lopez (23-2, 13 KOs), who has never been knocked out, don’t have a deal to fight next. They have each expressed the preference, though, to face each other for Garcia’s WBC belt and the WBA crown Lopez won from Rolly Romero last month.

Romero (17-3, 13 KOs) upset Garcia by unanimous decision in the main event of a Ring card in May 2025 to win the WBA’s secondary 147-pound championship. He was elevated to full champion when Jaron “Boots” Ennis gave up his Ring, IBF and WBA welterweight titles in June 2025 to compete at junior middleweight.

“I wanna unify against Teofimo,” Garcia said. “I think that’s the move. It’s a huge fight, and Teo’s a entertaining dude. And it’s gonna be a hell of a buildup, and he’s a good fighter, too. So, let’s run it.”

Garcia, 28, and Lopez, 29, are trash talkers who’ve spoken of fighting one another since they were lightweights. Las Vegas’ Lopez is more accomplished as a three-weight world champion and, at No. 5, is rated one spot ahead of Garcia in The Ring’s welterweight top 10.

Lopez attempted to enter the ring Saturday night to confront Garcia after the Victorville, California, native beat Benn.

Zuffa Boxing’s security personnel prevented him from walking up the steps. Lopez felt they were too physical while moving him away from the ring. David Benavidez was allowed to confront Jai Opetatia after The Ring and WBC cruiserweight champ stopped Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round in the co-feature, but Zuffa Boxing front man Dana White explained why afterward.

“We’re trying not to let guys in [the ring],” White said. “You know my position on that with the UFC. We have a cage. It’s easier to keep people out of the cage. But yeah, first of all, whoever wins tonight Ryan Garcia goes out and does what he says he’s gonna do in spectacular fashion, and then [to] have somebody else jump in the ring and for a fight that isn’t set up … it’s not what we do. Even the Benavidez thing, Jai Opetaia started going back and forth with him, and it was a mutual thing, so we ended up letting him in. But we weren’t gonna let Benavidez in, either.”

Zuffa Boxing wouldn’t be involved in a Garcia-Lopez bout.

Lopez has an exclusive deal with DAZN, as does Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s longtime promoter. Garcia’s contract with Golden Boy Promotions will expire after his next fight.

Garcia invited De La Hoya to walk him to the ring Saturday night, but “The Golden Boy,” who has a contentious relationship with White, did not attend the card.