“If Ryan gets the WBC world title, that fight is huge and sells out Wembley Stadium, but I think Ryan is a sausage and he could get cooked,” said Benn. “I think Barrios is going to do it. I just feel that Ryan is a liability and you just don't know what to expect. In a game where you have to be consistent, Barrios is consistent, and consistency beats anything else.

“Barrios is a true hard-fighting Mexican who's coming to fight with pride, balls and dignity. He's fighting for legacy, which is very different from someone who is fighting for clicks and views.”

Benn also believes Garcia’s change in training will end up costing him.

Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs, 1 NC) is being coached by his father Henry again after splitting from Derrick James following a three-fight run. Before James, Garcia was trained by Hall of Fame coach Joe Goossen for three fights, and by Eddy Reynoso for five fights before that. Henry last served as the head coach for his son in 2018.

“That's wild for me. You don't go from different coaches back to your dad,” said Benn. “Is your daddy a yes man? Are you going to listen to your dad? Ryan doesn't seem about it to me. He's making influencer money. So why is he going to choose to do a hard sport?

“It showed in the Rolly Romero fight that he wasn't prepared. Is he prepared now? He looked unbelievable in the Devin Haney fight and smashed Haney to pieces. So hopefully he pulls himself together. The fact that he is training with his dad in his living room isn't giving me good signs.”

Benn (24-1, 14 KOs) is the WBC’s No. 1 contender despite not having a fight at 147 pounds since he stopped Chris van Heerden in April 2022. Benn is coming off a spirited doubleheader at middleweight against Chris Eubank Jr., losing the first bout via unanimous decision in the “Fight of the Year” in April and dominating the rematch for a unanimous decision victory in November.

During the buildup of the Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) bout, Garcia has stated that he would give Benn a crack at his crown if were to end up winning.

“That's definitely an opportunity that I would love to explore,” said Garcia. “Conor Benn has a pretty good fan base in the UK and I would love to go international with it. We're focused on Barrios, but I would love that.”