If only Ryan Garcia allowed his hands to do the talking. Letting the cat out of the bag, he revealed details surrounding his next fight. But the details only ended up sparking doubt and speculation.

“My next fight is on September 12,” Garcia told rapper 6ix9ine on his Kick stream.

Initially, he hesitated to take the name. But it soon became clear who his next opponent would be in Las Vegas.

“You hear that? Conor Bum (Benn)?” Ryan Garcia said, before pointing at the rapper. “My guy’s going to walk me out.”

The welterweight champion made a somewhat pretentious attempt to keep matters tight. Yet it did little to stop the chatter that followed.

Because the date he mentioned, around Mexican Independence Day, also ties into Canelo Alvarez‘s return.

Following a loss to Terence Crawford, Alvarez took a break that now ends with a title fight against WBC super middleweight champion Christian M’billi.

To clear things up, Canelo vs. M’billi is reportedly set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Still, that timing overlap quickly shifted the conversation: Would Garcia vs. Benn headline a card alongside Canelo’s comeback fight or be part of his undercard?

The talks about Garcia’s title defense against Conor Benn have been circulating for some time. Coming off a win over Mario Barrios that made him a first-time titleholder, he has been linked to several potential matchups, including Shakur Stevenson.

That conversation gradually narrowed, with Conor Benn emerging as the frontrunner. While the English welterweight has joined Dana White’s stable, he still holds the No. 1 spot in the WBC’s 147-pound rankings, making him the mandatory challenger to Garcia’s title.

Though Garcia offered a hint, the matchup still needs official confirmation. The situation, meanwhile, sparked fan reaction.

Ryan Garcia update lands amid growing Canelo comeback hype

For instance, one wrote, “If that’s true, Ryan’s probably in the main undercard.” Though optimistic, the comments still appear far removed from reality. Given his star value and status as champion, Garcia would likely slot into a co-main event rather than the main card.

And that’s precisely what another user mentioned: “Hopefully it’s the co-main? I anticipate that Mexico vs. the world card will deliver.” The event they referred to, “Mexico vs. The World,” was first suggested by Turki Alalshikh back in January.

What makes the concept notable is that it would be promoted under Canelo’s own Canelo Promotions.

“All fighters from Canelo’s team are against the world. Saul (Canelo) will be in the main event for a world title. And it will be a surprise,” Alalshikh reportedly said.

The update, meanwhile, saw a few getting ahead of themselves. One added, “NGL, I think his fight does more than Canelo v. M’billi, imo.” Given Garcia and Benn’s age and styles, the bout is expected to deliver excitement.

But suggesting it would overshadow Canelo’s return would be a stretch. Considering he is coming off a loss, pressure is on the former champion to deliver a statement win. M’billi, however, presents a tough challenge, making the fight far from straightforward.

Then some felt Garcia was taking a big risk in fighting Benn. “Ryan Garcia better train; otherwise Conor Benn is coming for that belt seriously if he’s not careful,” one fan wrote.

Another user said, “Obviously not happening. They’re both with Turki.” The more measured take likely stems from Canelo and Benn’s current affiliations.

While the Mexican star is under a four-fight deal with Alalshikh, Benn has a tie-up with Zuffa, which, through TKO, is backed by Riyadh Season.

Garcia, meanwhile, fights under Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, which has recently taken a firm stance against Zuffa, particularly over matters related to the Ali Revival Act.

At this stage, it is still too early to confirm what Garcia said. Canelo’s card has yet to be officially announced. The coming weeks should clarify how Garcia’s first title defense ultimately shapes up.

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