Dave Allen has predicted how countryman Conor Benn will fare if he ends up facing Ryan Garcia later this year.

The pair are set to lock horns before 2026 comes to a close, yet there has been no date or venue officially announced for their world title showdown.

It was also reported earlier this week that Garcia’s promoter, Golden Boy, has sent a cease and desist letter to Zuffa Boxing and TKO Group, who represent Benn.

It is alleged that Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing never obtained consent from Golden Boy to pursue a clash between Benn and Garcia, who is reportedly still under contract with Oscar De La Hoya’s promotional outfit.

At the same time, though, White declared at the post-fight press conference for Zuffa Boxing 07 that they are closing in on an announcement for Garcia-Benn, which is expected to take place in Las Vegas.

This would see ‘King Ry’ make a first defence of his WBC welterweight title, which he claimed via a unanimous decision victory over Mario Barrios in February.

Benn, meanwhile, is the WBC mandatory challenger at 147lbs, despite having not made the weight since his second-round finish over Chris van Heerden in 2022.

Irrespective of the weight, though, British heavyweight Allen has predicted on social media that Garcia will be a level or two above his potential opponent.

“On first thoughts, I can’t imagine Conor being good enough to beat Garcia. Conor is a good fighter, don’t get me wrong.

“I think he’s good, he’s really athletic. But [I] just put Garcia in that top bracket. My prediction would be a Garcia stoppage. I think he’s probably a level or two above where we’ve seen Conor. Interesting fight, though.”

Indeed, Benn is yet to establish himself as a world-class operator, even after back-to-back points victories over faded versions of Chris Eubank Jr and Regis Prograis.