In the world of combat sports, the talk of crossover fights continues as boxing sensation Ryan Garcia throws down the gauntlet, challenging UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O'Malley to a bout inside the Octagon.
Sean O'Malley, known for his prowess in the UFC Bantamweight division, recently expressed interest in boxing Gervonta Davis or Ryan Garcia in the future. Garcia, in response, flipped the script by proposing a UFC showdown instead.
The Mexican-American boxer, aiming for a new challenge, sees the Octagon as the arena to test his skills against O'Malley.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Garcia emphasized that boxing O'Malley wouldn't be enough of a challenge, prompting him to prefer an MMA clash. In an interesting twist, Garcia mentioned his desire to have Nate Diaz as his trainer for the potential UFC fight.
“I’ll beat his a** in MMA guaranteed. I’m a natural, you don’t understand. I’m a natural wrestler. I just beat my security that’s a wrestler, I beat him. I’m strong and I’ve got crazy conditioning. That’s already been done. I know I’m going to knock him out in boxing, that’s not even fair.
Ryan Garcia: "I will destroy Sean O’Malley. In the UFC. I’ve already sent text messages to Dana [White]" 👀
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“What is fair is to test myself in MMA because I know if I put my mind to it and I trained every day, and I had Nate [Diaz] helping me, even Alex Pereira, all of them, and I really locked in, he will not beat me. “I will come with everything I have and I will destroy Sean O’Malley. In the UFC,” Garcia said
Despite Garcia's enthusiasm and efforts to make the bout happen, he revealed that his text messages to UFC President Dana White went unanswered. Undeterred, Garcia expressed his readiness to step into the UFC and challenged O'Malley, emphasizing the need for compensation to make the crossover.
Currently preparing for a fight against Devin Haney for the WBC Junior Welterweight Title on April 20, Garcia seems to be eyeing the potential UFC bout as an enticing prospect, seeking to make history as the first male boxer to successfully transition to MMA and secure a victory.
While Garcia gears up for his title shot against Haney, O'Malley has his own title fight at UFC 299 against Marlon Vera, presenting an interesting parallel between the two fighters. As the landscape of combat sports continues to evolve, crossover fights add an extra layer of excitement, with Garcia's bold challenge to O'Malley stirring up anticipation among fans. Only time will tell whether this proposed clash inside the Octagon becomes a reality and if Garcia can successfully make the leap from the boxing ring to the UFC cage.