Garcia will defend his WBC welterweight title against Benn on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Their bout will stream on Paramount+ in the United States and other countries and on DAZN across the UK and Ireland.

For Garcia, he has a chance to take another step in realizing his vast potential in his first title defense. For Benn, it’s a chance to follow in the footsteps of his father, Nigel Benn, by becoming a world champion for the first time.

Here is how Garcia and Benn can have their hands raised.

Last fight: Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) beat Mario Barrios by unanimous decision to become the WBC welterweight champion on February 21 at T-Mobile Arena.

Odds: Garcia, 28, is a clear favorite at -330, according to DraftKings. A win by KO/TKO/DQ boasts -105 odds for Garcia, while a decision victory is listed at +240.

How does Garcia win? His patience and taking what’s given to him will be key to beating Benn.

Benn’s best chance at winning is likely by catching Garcia early. The exorbitant weight cut Benn is enduring just to make 147 pounds will likely hinder him having success later in the fight. Benn is fighting at here for the first time since April 2022.

Garcia shouldn’t be afraid to let the fight go to the later rounds. He just went 12 rounds without much issue against Barrios, and that experience should give him confidence if the fight reaches the second half against Benn. If Garcia seeks an early finish and fights recklessly, he could be playing right into Benn’s hands and leave himself vulnerable to getting caught.

Garcia, The Ring’s No. 6 welterweight, should lean on his jab and straight right hand to keep Benn at the end of his reach. He dropped Barrios inside the first 30 seconds with an overhand right and found great success with his right hand throughout.

If he establishes those weapons early, it can set up his lightning-quick left hook, whether it’s thrown in a combination or to catch or counter Benn as he tries to move to the inside.

Going to the body will also be important for Garcia. It should also be a part of his game plan, but it’s especially vital given what Benn is enduring to reach the welterweight limit. Going downstairs could sap Benn’s gas tank early and help set up the spectacular finish Garcia seeks.

What does it mean if Garcia wins? It’d end a banner year with a bang for the Victorville, California, native.

Few knew what to expect when Garcia faced Barrios. To end the year with a pair of big wins and a world title to his name would show he’s finally starting to realize his vast potential.

If Garcia can beat Benn, even bigger fights could lie on the horizon, as well.

Newly crowned WBA welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez has set his sights on a unification bout against Garcia. The grudge rematch against WBO titleholder Devin Haney will also be a viable option, and one can argue there isn’t a better fight to make given the bad blood and how they match up.

There will be no shortage of options, and Garcia could be poised for an even bigger 2027 if he emerges victorious on Saturday.

What Garcia is saying: “This is going to be a really beautiful performance. He’s just not good enough to beat me.”

Last fight: Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) beat Regis Prograis by unanimous decision on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Benn-Prograis was a 10-round, 150-pound catchweight bout.

Odds: Benn is the underdog (+250). Benn winning by KO/TKO/DQ is a whopping +500, while winning by decision boasts even longer odds at +650.

How does Benn win? If Benn, 29, is going to upset Garcia, he has to get off to a fast start.

In each of Garcia’s defeats to Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Rolando “Rolly” Romero, he was dropped in the second round and never fully recovered. If Benn can follow suit, it could slow the fight down, which can greatly help his gas tank if the fight reaches the later rounds.

Benn using feints to set up his offense will also be important. Feints are one of the best ways to negate a speed disadvantage, which Benn will face. If he can bait Garcia’s offense out of him, it’ll greatly help the Englishman’s defense and set up counters.

Establishing his jab to the body can also help Benn to land something big upstairs. Romero caught Garcia with a left hook as he was pulling out of range with his hands down for the lone knockdown of the fight.

Luke Campbell also dropped Garcia in the second round in January 2021 with a looping left hook as he backed straight out of range with his hands down. Garcia recovered and scored a seventh-round knockout with a left hook to the body against the 2012 Olympic gold medalist for Great Britain.

If Benn can establish the jab to the body and use his feints, it could set up the big shot he needs to turn the fight in his favor and greatly help his chances for an upset.

What does it mean if Benn wins? Few believe it’s smart for Benn to endure moving back down to welterweight.

Beating Garcia would give Benn vindication as he would become a world champion for the first time in his career. Beyond that, one of the main reasons Benn wanted to fight was to win the same WBC title his father won at super middleweight when he stopped Mauro Galvano after three rounds in October 1992.

That gives a win over Garcia that much more weight, and Benn would have serious momentum heading into whichever weight class he moves up to after Saturday.

What Benn is saying: “To fight for the WBC title, it’s the same title my dad had. The stars have aligned. I need to get that world title, and he’s in the way.”