Garcia Blocks Benn From Using Larger Gloves

Ryan Garcia has taken the unusual step of contacting Nevada officials to block Conor Benn from switching to heavier gloves if he comes in overweight for their Sept. 12 fight.

Garcia reached out to the Nevada State Athletic Commission to ensure the bout remains contested with 8-ounce gloves regardless of where Benn lands on the scales, MMA Mania reports. Under Nevada rules, fights above 148 pounds require 10-ounce gloves, a provision Garcia suspects Team Benn might exploit after the British fighter spent five years campaigning at higher weight classes.

Benn has made repeated public comments about returning to 147 pounds after years away from the limit. To Garcia, that sounds like excuse-making ahead of a missed mark. "I just wanted to make sure that if he does not come in on weight, I still want to use the weapons that I'm used to using which are 8-ounce gloves," Garcia said, per the report. "It's more deadly with 8-ounce gloves, so that's why I did that."

The move could be genuine concern or psychological warfare — Garcia and Benn had to be separated at Thursday's staredown after Dana White shut down the faceoff early. Official weigh-ins take place Friday afternoon in Las Vegas ahead of Saturday's T-Mobile Arena card on Mexican Independence Day weekend.