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Ryan Garcia Claims Floyd Mayweather Fight Date & Location Set

WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia stated that he intends to fight Floyd Mayweather sooner than many think.
Terrance Biggs|
Ryan Garcia
Ryan Garcia | IMAGO / Cover-Images

WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia enjoyed a renaissance of sorts this year. He won his title with a dominant performance over Mario Barrios in January. Then, this summer, after engaging in a war of words with Conor Benn, he floored the British fighter in two rounds.

Part of Garcia's box-office intrigue is his ability to engage with fighters across divisions, especially on social media. He's called out Terence Crawford and challenged Gervonta Davis, pretty much anyone who is a champion of note, luring them into a war of words.

This week, he announced what may be the most lucrative fight of his career. That screams volumes for a champion who has battled the sport's best for the last few years.

Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia
Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia | IMAGO / Hoganphotos

Garcia lines up Mayweather date and location

49-year-old former four-division champion Floyd Mayweather and Garcia enjoyed banter over a potential fight. Garcia wants to be the first fighter to tarnish Mayweather's perfect 50-0 record and is willing to risk his welterweight title to do it.

During a live stream, Garcia announced that the fight is scheduled for February 6 in Las Vegas. The champion has clearly articulated his intentions and aspirations.

"We are going to fight Floyd Mayweather on February 6. Floyd, we're going to kick your a--. This is not an exhibition; this is a real fight. I'm going to take his zero. It's going to be in Vegas."
Ryan Garcia

Now, as is the case with most of boxing, bluster remains an integral ingredient in the process. Yet, faced with the possibility of a highly lucrative fight, Garcia wants to leave no doubt about the result. No one has ever effectively hurt Mayweather to the point of losing, though, and some even think it's a 50/50 fight.

Garcia enters the fight with youth completely on his side. At 28, he's over 20 years younger than Mayweather. As a result, he looks to have an advantage against the older fighter. Yet that overlooks the fact that Mayweather built his entire legacy on being a slick defensive fighter who avoided damage at all costs.

While Garcia possesses brutal knockout power in both hands, Mayweather's experience could be a determining factor.

Floyd Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Garcia's announcement of the fight does not guarantee it will happen. First, Mayweather will need to pass testing to determine whether he's physically and mentally fit to fight for a world championship. Since his 2017 retirement, Mayweather has kept in good physical condition, conducting exhibition fights and filming himself in the gym. Yet, being in regular shape and fighting trim are never the same thing. If Mayweather can pass, boxing will have its first megafight of 2027.

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Terrance Biggs
TERRANCE BIGGS

Terrance is a boxing writer for KO on SI. He's enjoyed over a decade of writing experience, writing for Full Press Coverage, Pro Football Sports Network and Heavy.com, covering both professional and collegiate sports. He is s a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association. Terrance also votes on postseason awards like the Biletnikoff, Groza, and Thorpe Awards. Biggs earned his bachelor's degree in Communication from Fort Hays State University. When not writing, he enjoys spending time with his children and his fiancée, along with playing softball.