BOXING
Ryan Garcia wants to fight in UFC
Now out of boxing for at least a year, and at least nominally “retired,” Ryan Garcia is exploring pastures new by reaching out to Dana White and the UFC.
Ryan Garcia is a man of ups and downs. Clearly a huge boxing talent, his mental health issues are never far from the fore. Talented enough to win without cheating, King Ry chose instead to turn over the apple cart by not only purposely missing weight by a mile, but also by doping with a selective androgen receptor modulator in training.
When faced with the almost certainty of a ban, plus a huge fine of over $1 million, Garcia pulled the old “I quit” just before getting fired.
The money may not mean much to him. After all, he is a huge social media personality producing revenue streams that dwarf his boxing income. But as far as his relevance in the sport, Garcia has decided to branch out into another sport.
On social media, Garcia reached out to UFC boss Dana White, saying that White should “hit me up” and make an offer to bring the sweet science to the octagon. “I’m headed to the UFC. Dana White I want my 50gs, for real Dana White hit me up,” Garcia wrote.
Who knows if White will respond to the challenge, but it is an interesting proposition, and one that the UFC could cash in on. Notoriously, the flow of fighters has traditionally been the other way, with boxing drawing bigger money than MMA. But a star draw like Garcia, drugs or not, could potentially equal a huge payday for UFC.
Recently, both Claressa “GWOAT” Shields and Savannah Marshall have appeared in the octagon, so this is not a concept that is out of the blue. Fans will line up to see Garcia, even if it is just as a one-time thing. But the next move is now for Dana White to make.