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Undefeated lightweight boxer Ryan Garcia is looking at a possible crossover.
Undefeated boxer Ryan Garcia got the MMA world’s attention when he went on a brief exchange with Henry Cejudo via TMZ. During a recent interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, the 21-year-old explained how their rift began.
“The only time I’ve seen him was the fight that he had [against Dominick Cruz], when the UFC came back,” Garcia said (transcript by BJPenn.com). “I actually liked his hands a little bit. I wrote him a message. I was like ‘hey man, you’re pretty good, don’t retire, just keep going.’
“I ended up tweeting that and he ended up going crazy. I’m like ‘I didn’t even call you out, my guy.’ All I said was ‘yo, how would he do in a fight against me?’ ‘cause I thought his hands were good. He took it the wrong way, so I mean, now I’m going to have to knock him out. He’s a cool dude, but I’m going to knock him out.”
The exchange began after UFC 249, when Cejudo finished Dominick Cruz and announced his retirement. Around the same time, Garcia also got into it with Dillon Danis for some reason.
Get in line whoever you are https://t.co/nynf858QAH
— Ryan Garcia (@KingRyanG) May 12, 2020
i’d put you on your back faster than a prostitute with a mortgage. https://t.co/rRE1ttqD55
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) June 30, 2020
Speaking about Danis, Garcia didn’t have flattering words to say.
“He’s an ugly little boy. That’s what he is,” he said.
“I have no idea what his beef with me is. He literally started commenting on every video I have, and I’m like ‘man, this guy’s a big fan.’ I thought he was a fan. I didn’t know who he was. I was like ‘who is this guy?’
“I did a little research and I guess it’s Conor McGregor’s little dog. Something like that,” Garcia added.
With his mounting frustrations with promoter Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia is now looking at a possible crossover to MMA, against either one of the aforementioned.
“You know what I think I would do, instead of what everybody thinks I would do? I would go in the MMA ring with them. I would be that ballsy to do it.”
SBG Dublin head coach John Kavanagh has already taken notice.
If you could last 1 round in an MMA fight with @dillondanis I’d retire and never train again. https://t.co/P2muVi6Nhh
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) June 30, 2020
So did rising star Sean O’Malley.
I’d love to kick you in the head
— Sean O’Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) July 1, 2020
Garcia last saw action in February when he knocked out Francisco Fonseca in the first round.