Boxing superstar Ryan Garcia has been handed a one-year suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission, so what will ‘King’ do next?
Last night, news started to hit the airwaves that Ryan Garcia had reached a settlement agreement with the NYSAC following his positive test for a banned substance in the aftermath of the Devin Haney fight back in April.
Not only has the boxing superstar been handed a one-year suspension from the sport, but the victory over Haney has been overturned to a No Contest, and his purse from that bout will also be forfeited in addition to a $10,000 fine.
Ryan Garcia’s immediate reaction was one of fire and fury
Only a few hours after news of the settlement agreement was reported, Garcia took to social media to launch yet another assault on the commission.
Writing across a series of posts, Garcia claimed that “They took my victory away,” and that “Nothing that was in my system was enough for any!!! That’s why I’m done with the game.”
He also stated, “It’s okay, I’m retired I’ll come back in a year,” before quickly following up with, “I was already retired so I’ll just come back out of retirement for a year.”
Yet as the night wore on, Garcia would also suggest a dramatic career change as he sits out on the sidelines; one that involves him stepping inside not the squared circle, but the octagon.
Ryan Garcia teases move to the UFC during year out of boxing
As the icon of modern boxing continued to post online, Garcia also teased that he could use the 12-month suspension from the sport to have a super-fight in the MMA, specifically the UFC.
“I don’t give a f*** I’m hitting the switch again,” he stated, before making his supposed-intentions clear, “I’m headed to the UFC.”
Garcia would follow up this post with another two messages directed at UFC boss Dana White: “Dana I want my 50gs,” and later, “For real Dana White hit me up.”
Whilst such a short-term signing would undoubtedly be an incredibly rare move for the UFC, that isn’t to say that there hasn’t already been vested interest in a potential MMA match for ‘King Ry’.
Only last month, bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley Facetimed Garcia during a Call of Duty livestream on Twitch, with the pair going back and forth in front of thousands of viewers.
“Buddy Ryan! Congratulations on beating Devin Haney, I’m not going to lie I feel like I could beat Devin though, what do you think about that? [Garcia: I’d whoop you’re a** in MMA and boxing] If you want to be real, listen if you want to be real in reality; I could kill you in minutes – literally, I could kill you though.”
Whilst much of what Garcia was shouting through the call was inaudible, the boxer did repeatedly mention the idea of fighting ‘Suga’ in the cage, as opposed to the ring – unsurprisingly, the UFC champion dismissed the call as nonsensical.
“You’re all talk though, that’s all talk; that’s not real- real-life s*** I would kill you and that’s got to make you feel like a b****… You know what I’m saying, I’m pretty confident – it’s just crazy to talk like that when you know that I could kill you.”
The ‘King Ry’ team release statement following suspension
Unsurprisingly, given the explosive nature of Garcia’s social media antics, his team also released a statement on the boxer’s behalf.
“Ryan Garcia was a victim of substance contamination, with levels measured in the billions and trillions of a gram, which provided no advantage whatsoever in the ring,” the statement read.
“Ryan, with his legal team, has resolved this issue and firmly maintains his truth: he never intentionally took any banned substance. It’s simply not in his nature…
“He has maintained an impeccable and clean record throughout his career, significantly elevating and transcending the sport of boxing, earning respect and admiration from millions of fans worldwide.”
The statement included mention that boxing fans will remember the Haney fight, which has now been ruled as a No Contest, as a “masterclass” and that Garcia will now look to reform the PED testing system.
“Ryan will continue to elevate the sport and will be actively involved in advocating for reform. We hope future changes in our system will address issues like this one.
“We want to thank all of the fans who have continued to support Ryan, not only during the great moments but also through the difficult times that life brings. He will be back in the ring soon and better than ever!”