Following his spectacular upset victory against the Super Lightweight champion, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia received some words of wisdom from UFC’s former double champ, Conor McGregor. The two California rivals settled the scores once and for all, mano-a-mano in a 12-round professional bout in Barclays Center in what could’ve been a title win for Garcia if hadn’t missed the weight.
Despite the heavy-handed loss against Gervonta “Tank” Davis, the 25-year-old bounced back in stellar fashion, derailing the Haney hype train which ultimately earned the UFC superstar’s high praise. McGregor was at ringside spectating the action and even met Garcia backstage to congratulate him. Later, he penned down a brief note for the young fighter on his “X” handle, saying,
“Yup Jesus and the sesh! Ya’s know f**k all, peasants, stay out of our ear! Well in Garcia. An amazing fight from two champions! Have now fought each other 7 times! That’s incredible. Some are just born to fight! Some aren’t. If you aren’t be sure to be a good gatherer cos I be hungry. God speed to both men and teams in this crazy world and congrats Ryan Garcia! Tonight is your night, I knew when he fought Tank that this guy was electric. Even in defeat.”
https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1781943753487343671
Sharing a few snaps on his social media, the larger-than-life UFC star sang high praise of Garcia. He even advised the young buck to drink responsibly and resonated with the fighter’s trust in god as he wrote,
“Fighters know. The real know. God knows! Now the real fight happens for the young man, too! Stay strong kid, believe in the Lord’s guidance, and keep it tight like frogs a** in Versace lad hahaha yes! Well in! Jesus is King so don’t go against what he tells you personally and internally.”
Speaking about the bout itself, it was more of a masterclass from Garcia on how to effectively use his superior hand speed and reflex against his rival to beat him to a pulp. Now after flattening one of the best fighters, according to ESPN’s boxing insider, Mike Coppinger has confirmed that Garcia will be moving up the weight class to welterweight.
Garcia to climb up to welterweight after flatlining the Super Lightweight champion
Saturday’s epic 12-round showdown was nothing short of a shocker for fight fans across the globe. The skill and speed difference was pretty evident from the first round itself. The Golden Boy Promotions’ fighter stunned the champion and dropped him multiple times to earn a majority decision.
Ryan Garcia says he’s moving up to welterweight for his next fight. Said his body can’t go below 143 pounds. Oscar De La Hoya says a rematch with Gervonta Davis would have to take place at a catchweight of 145 pounds. #HaneyGarcia
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) April 21, 2024
The fight was so one-sided, that most fans could never have anticipated such a turnaround. Following the landslide victory, Garcia, according to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger on his “X” handle, confirmed that the 25-year-old will now climb up to welterweight to take on new challenges. While it is not yet clear whether a possible matchup with Terence Crawford is on the table, we can expect a lot of developments in the coming days.
