Garcia faces former K-1 kickboxing champion Rukiya Anpo, who put the fight to Manny Pacquiao in their exhibition match back in July.
Ryan Garcia may be suspended from fighting in North America after failing a drug test for Ostarine, but that won’t keep the troubled boxer from competing in an exhibition match in Japan.
MMAMania.com reported months ago that Garcia was in talks with RIZIN boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara to appear on the promotion’s big New Years Eve celebration card. Garcia went so far as to travel to Tokyo to appear in the ring after Manny Pacquiao boxed to a ‘draw’ against former K-1 champion Rukiya Anpo.
We had Anpo soundly beating Pacquiao in their wild brawl (watch the highlights here).
While Garcia challenged both Pacquiao and Anpo, it’s Anpo who got a contract to box “King Ryan,” and the two will face off at Rizin 49: Decade on December 31st (actually the 30th for those of us in North America). The fight will be held at the 36,000 seat Saitama Super Dome, one of the most famous venues in Japanese combat sports.
Ight I’ve been quiet for some time but I’ve been cooking on some plans before my actual return to the ring
Here is the plan before April
Exhibition in December in Japan against the guy who fought aging manny pac and tried to knock him out.
And then go after Jake for uncle…
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) November 18, 2024
Garcia was contracted to fight at 140 pounds for his past two pro fights but missed weight by three pounds for his last bout against Devin Haney. He’ll have no issues in Japan where the contracted weight is 153 pounds. Anpo held the K-1 super lightweight title and fought at 147 pounds. The bout will be eight two-minute rounds.
“I’m looking forward to knocking Anpo out for trying to knock out the legend Manny Pacquiao,” Garcia said in an official statement on the fight. “Manny is past his prime and for him to try to knock him out rubbed me the wrong way. I will knock him out and teach him a lesson of respect.”
Will this be a tepid exhibition bout or a full on slobberknocker? RIZIN exhibitions featuring big boxing names have gone both ways, but Anpo’s fight with Pacquiao leads us to think this could be real, with the ‘exhibition’ label being a bit of kabuki to keep North American commissions from asking too many questions when Garcia applies to get his license back in April 2025.