Garcia Wants O’Malley In MMA Or Bareknuckle
Ryan Garcia has doubled down on his retirement, as he is open to fighting Sean O’Malley.
Garcia’s retirement came shortly before he was banned for a year after testing positive for Ostarine. The findings by the New York State Athletic Commission meant that Garcia’s win over Devin Haney became a no-contest. While Garcia denies taking PEDs intentionally, strict liability meant that he was still held accountable.
Garcia, however, still plans to remain active. He has been linked with a fight against O’Malley. The two were exchanging verbals before Garcia’s fight with Haney. O’Malley has said the UFC is willing to allow him to box for a big fight. However, since Garcia cannot box, Ryan is open to crossing into MMA or bareknuckle. He has put his name out there to face Sean.
Garcia Reacts
“I’m retiring for a year. So they don’t get the [satisfaction] for suspending me cause it’s bull. I never took steroids in my life. They can all suck…“I like ‘Suga’ Sean [O’Malley] cause he defended me. But if he really wants to run it in the UFC, I’ll run it. Or bare knuckle…I’m ready to fight anyone at this point,” Garcia said
A fight in bareknuckle is the likelier of the two options if Garcia wants an advantage. Bareknuckle is still boxing without the protection of the padding from the gloves. That will make Garcia even more dangerous should he land his shots. While that may be the case, he also risks suffering more damage. Given he will be out of the ring for a year, he must keep himself in good condition.
Even for the Haney fight, Garcia was not in the best shape. He failed to make the 140-pound limit, coming in 3.2 pounds over. He also was gassing out through various rounds in the Haney fight, which he had never done before. There are also worries that there are too many distractions outside fo boxing. Garcia has a massive social media following, which takes up his time.
Garcia’s Ventures
He also dabbles in ventures outside of boxing, which can only hamper him. Much recently, Garcia had a stab at stand-up comedy. He took to the stage at Laugh Factory when he was introduced by comedian Chris D’Elia. It was a new experience for Garcia. While he did slip up a few times, he also took some time out to address his recent PED suspension.
“Hi guys, I’m a boxer. But I’m currently banned from boxing for a year. I didn’t cheat, I didn’t do anything – just to to be clear. I’ve been doing anything to try to save my life. I’ve only boxed since I was 7 years old. So they said that maybe I can be a stand-up comedian. Worst (comes to) worst, I just start shadow boxing,’ he said. ‘I just woke up. And I was drunk already and I woke up even more drunk… I never took steroids – the truth is the truth and a lie is a lie,” Garcia added
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