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Ryan Garcia got the first taste of defeat on Saturday night. The 24-year-old former interim lightweight champion lost the 0 on his record when he dropped to a body shot by Gervonta Davis in the seventh round and chose to continue.
During his post-fight scrum with media members, Garcia was asked if the pre-fight rehydration clause may have affected his performance. Here was his response:
“From an honest perception of it, I didn’t feel too good. I felt a little weak going into the ring. My legs didn’t feel too much under me. But once the fight got going, it kind of all came together.
“I can’t really pin that too much. It is what it is. I signed the contract, and that’s that.”
Ryan Garcia signed a rehydration clause ahead of the bout
Both fighters agreed to a 136-pound catchweight for the non-title contest. But Garcia was also made to sign a clause that prohibited him from putting on more than ten pounds, post-rehydration.
In a pre-fight interview, Davis said it was meant to level the playing field.
“I mean, it’s just making sure everything’s fair. You know what I mean? I know that he’s a bigger fighter. He already has the advantage of the height, the size, the arm length, like everything, he has the most advantage.
“So, I’m just making it a little fair. You know what I mean? Just everybody stays the same. And, I mean, it ain’t like he gotta go [to a second weigh-in] and I don’t have to go. We both have to go. You know what I mean?”
Rehydration clause aside, Garcia also feels his lack of experience in fights of such magnitude played a role in the result.
“I just wanted to make this fight a little bit more exciting. That’s my inexperience, I guess, at the biggest stage. I definitely messed up. I should’ve just made it boring, made him miss, and just kept on the outside.
“But, at one point, I just decided to say, ‘Let’s start throwing them.’ Obviously, that didn’t work in my favor.”
What’s next for Ryan Garcia?
UFC superstar Conor McGregor gave Garcia a pep talk in the locker room after the fight. As seen on the video, McGregor called for a rematch, but without the rehydration clause next time around.
But for Ryan Garcia, moving up in weight is a more appealing option.
“I believe so,” he said when asked if he sees himself as a 140-pound champion. “(At) 140, I feel strong, I feel fast. 140, I’m coming for you.”
After the loss to “Tank,” Ryan Garcia’s current record stands at 23-1 (with 19 KOs).
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