What's next for Ryan Garcia after the Conor Benn stoppage?

Last weekend, Ryan Garcia wasted little time putting Conor Benn away in Las Vegas, stopping his British opponent in the second round to retain his WBC welterweight title.

‘King Ry’ made his first defence of the WBC belt a successful one, beating ‘The Destroyer’ Conor Benn inside the second round of their fight in front of a sold-out crowd at the T-Mobile Arena.

The 28-year-old phenom didn't waste time looking towards his next challenge either, calling out both Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney after having his hand raised and the belt wrapped around his waist.

With two of the division's biggest names now on Garcia's radar, speculation over Ryan Garcia's next fight has already begun. So, who could face him next?

Of all the options available on the table, a clash with Brooklyn’s own Teofimo Lopez arguably carries the clearest route towards another world title being added to either man’s waist.

Lopez became a three-division world champion in the summer when he defeated Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero to claim the WBA welterweight title.

Lopez was already targeting the winner of Garcia-Benn before the fight took place, and Garcia's victory has only strengthened the possibility of the two eventually meeting.

Lopez also made his presence known during fight week, disguising himself as a reporter before revealing himself to Garcia and Benn at the press conference.

The WBA champion was also in attendance for the fight, with the pair exchanging heated words after the bout.

There is, however, an issue standing between Garcia and a potential unification fight with Lopez.

That issue comes in the shape of Jack Catterall, the current holder of the WBA's secondary welterweight title and therefore the mandatory challenger for Lopez's belt after the Englishman beat Shakhram Giyasov in Egypt in May.

The WBA previously ruled that the winner of the Catterall-Giyasov bout would receive a shot at the full title within 180 days, with November 19, 2026, being the deadline.

Catterall has made his position clear, insisting that he wants his opportunity next rather than allowing Lopez to move straight into a unification bout.

“No favours no queue jumping just what’s owed to me. I want my shot NEXT,” Catterall posted to X.

Indirectly, this could halt Garcia's plans. While Lopez has been targeting a fight with the WBC champion, his mandatory obligation to Catterall would need to be dealt with before he can move into a unification bout.

For Garcia, Catterall is therefore not another name on his list of potential opponents, but someone who could determine whether his preferred fight with Lopez can happen next.

Garcia's other callout after the Benn victory was an extremely familiar face.

Haney and Garcia have plenty of unfinished business dating back to their clash in 2024, when Garcia initially won their bout via majority decision before the result was changed to a no-contest following Garcia's positive drug test for trace amounts of ostarine, a banned substance.

Haney has since moved up to welterweight, capturing the WBO title after beating Brian Norman Jr. in Saudi Arabia last November, meaning a rematch would now have much more at stake than their previous clash.

Garcia has made it clear that he still wants another opportunity against Haney, while Lopez has also identified the WBO champion as a potential target as he looks to become undisputed at 147 pounds.

For Garcia, that leaves two former rivals holding two of the division's world titles as potential opponents.

Lopez brings the prospect of an immediate WBC-WBA unification, although Catterall's position as the mandatory challenger could determine whether that fight can happen next.

Haney, meanwhile, offers Garcia the chance to settle their unfinished business, with the WBO title also on the line.

Garcia has already made his intentions clear, but turning either fight into reality may prove complicated.

For now, Garcia has plenty of options at 147lbs. The question is which one gets made first.