The fight, which was part of an event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London headlined by Tyson Fury and Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11, was his first since joining Zuffa Boxing.

Benn’s decision to join up with Zuffa and end a career-long allegiance with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing sent a shockwave through the sport with Hearn labeling Benn a “dog” for the move.

The deal was announced February 20, which meant the buildup to his fight with Prograis just 50 days later was dominated by the controversial switch.

“You’ve got to think my last fight was hard,” Benn told The Ring. “Not the fight, but all that outside noise. That made it hard. Life can just be hard, especially in the public eye, and I was trying to juggle that with also being the best fighter I can be. I’ve got all that noise going on, trying to focus … but then there’s all the noise.”

Even so, England’s Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) emerged victorious from his clash with Prograis and then signed a five-fight deal with Zuffa. That extension begins with Saturday’s clash against Ryan Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs, 1 NC) for the WBC welterweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

This time, that outside noise has quieted down completely.

“For this fight there is a level of peace,” Benn said. “Even though Ryan Garcia has done a bit of talking, there is generally a sense of peace and calm. Which means I can concentrate on the actual job and the actual fight.”

Benn and his team touched down Monday in Las Vegas aboard their private jet after finishing the last of their training camp in Los Angeles.

The noise is expected to ramp up throughout fight week as the pair are brought together for their usual media obligations. Benn is looking forward to the temperature rising.

“I had two fights with Chris Eubank Jr., which were British grudge matches and then all of that before Prograis,” Benn said. “Now I’m sitting here thinking ‘Corr, this is a bit peaceful isn’t it?’ It’s weird. I like a bit of drama and I’m ready for it.”

The card headlined by the Garcia-Benn bout will be streamed by Paramount+ to subscribers in the United States (8 p.m. ET; 5 p.m. PT) and many other countries. DAZN will offer it on pay-per-view and to subscribers of its Ultimate plan in the UK and Ireland (1 a.m. BST).