Ryan Garcia has predicted an early win over Conor Benn when they meet next month.
Garcia defends his WBC welterweight world title against Benn at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 12.
The pair had to be separated after almost coming to blows at a press conference last month to promote their much-anticipated showdown.
‘King Ry’, who won the title with a unanimous decision victory over Mario Barrios in February, hasn’t registered a knockout in almost three years, but believes he will halt the Brit before the halfway mark of their bout.
“If I don’t knock him out within five rounds or below, I’ll be a little disappointed in myself,” the 27-year-old told ES News.
“But if I don’t knock him out by the fifth, I’m still going to beat the f*** out of him and hopefully knock him out later.
“I’m training to knock him out [in] under five.
“I’ve been watching a lot of tape on him.
“There ain’t no way this f***er stays in there.
“I actually think Barrios stylistically was a harder fight.
“Barrios was very tall, snappy, fast, stronger than people think.”
The Californian won a world title at the third attempt after seeing his win over then-WBC super lightweight champion, Devin Haney overturned to a no contest after he failed a drugs test.
After serving a ban, Garcia was then handily beaten by Rolando Romero in a bid for the WBA welterweight crown, before achieving the feat earlier this year.
Benn fights at 147 pounds for the first time in over four years, having had two money-spinning bouts with Chris Eubank Jr at 160 pounds, the second of which he won after suffering a first professional defeat last April.
Like his rival, ‘The Destroyer’ was at the centre of a drugs scandal, which postponed his original meeting with Eubank Jr, although he was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
The 29-year-old overcame Regis Prograis in a 150 pound catchweight clash in April and will fight for a world title for the first time.
