Boxing News: Ryan Garcia Teases UFC Crossover to ‘Destroy’ Champ Sean O’Malley
Whether the odds are against him, either in the ring or the Octagon, Ryan Garcia isn't shying away from a good challenge.
The pro boxer has his hands full in his next bout, when he challenges two-weight world champion Devin Haney on Apr. 20. Garcia is confident he'll get his hand raised and win a new crown in Brooklyn.
Garcia's aspirations spread far wider than world championships in 'The Sweet Science' however. Thinking outside of the box, the 25 year-old has been generating interest in a MMA super-fight with Sean O'Malley.
'King Ry' reckons he'd beat the brakes off of the UFC Bantamweight Champion in the cage.
"Bring that motherf***er on. I'll beat his ass in MMA, guaranteed," Garcia said of O'Malley on 'The MMA Hour'. "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 got crazy conditioning."
Garcia explains why he wants to fight O'Malley outside his native sport of boxing, where 'Suga' would most definitely have the edge under MMA rules.
"I want him [in MMA], that's already been done," Garcia said of MMA fighters going into boxing. "I know I'm gonna knock him out in boxing. That's not even fair."
Of course, Garcia isn't saying that he'll beat O'Malley in MMA off the couch. The pro boxer says he'd put in the work with some of the UFC's biggest stars, should the crossover ever take place.
"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 would destroy Sean O'Malley."
When would Ryan Garcia like to fight Sean O'Malley? As early as possible, says the boxing star, who has business to take care of first against Devin Haney and then, get his reps in on the MMA side of the equation.
"I'm down for that, next. Just give me like, 3, 4 months of just MMA training. I'll go beat his ass. I told Nate to train me a little bit. Well, I'll train with everybody. I would even ask Conor [McGregor] to let me train with them for a little bit. Every month will be a new coach. Conor, Alex Pereira, Nate, and just somebody else. That would be sick."
Like Garcia, Sean O'Malley is also booked to fight soon. The champion makes the first defense of his bantamweight title versus rival Chito Vera at UFC 299.
Will we ever see the fantasy fight between Ryan Garcia and Sean O'Malley in the UFC?
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