Combat sports dominated social media this weekend, and the UFC wasn’t involved for the first time in a while. Although a prominent MMA event was held on Friday night in Chicago (PFL), it’s now very much yesterday’s news. Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney headlined the Barclay’s Center in New York and took all of the attention, and not just for the boxing. The fight was controversial before either man stepped foot in the ring.
Much had been made of Ryan Garcia’s mental state going into the fight after he made several concerning posts on social media and displayed erratic behaviour in various interviews and other promotional obligations leading up to the fight. Questions were asked whether he was in a fit state to be fighting, but remarkably, he beat the heavy favorite, Devin Haney, in enthralling fashion by landing three knockdowns and winning the fight on the judge’s scorecards.
Ryan Garcia: The Enigma
Ryan Garcia is now in an interesting spot. He was arguably the first legitimate boxer to garner mainstream popularity via professional boxing, partly thanks to his short-lived fights as he ascended the world rankings. During his rise into the mainstream, he posted numerous videos on social media, many of which went viral, that showcased his speed on the punching bag. Coupled with his chiselled looks and charisma, he quickly became a marketer’s dream.
As with most boxers, they get to a crossroads on their way up. Their records can no longer continue to be padded, and the time comes for them to face tougher opposition. Garcia was no different, and people speculated whether he could make the step up and compete against so-called ‘legitimate’ boxers. He was perhaps the first ‘social-media’ or ‘influencer’ fighter, although the difference with Ryan Garcia is that he could actually fight. It could be argued that his online presence drew haters, and at the time, it was a hindrance he could probably have done without. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and the barriers he faced in his earlier days as a result of his popularity have now arguably become a positive.
The marketing strategy Ryan Garcia and his team pursued was certainly a gamble, but it’s paid off. It would be easy to say that he was ahead of the curve and that he understood the impact social media can have in relation to building a brand. But as a boxer, it’s all pointless without talent, and unless you can actually fight, there is a very real risk that you become a laughing stock or, even worse, a meme. Luckily for Garcia, he can pack a punch. He fought and beat Luke Campbell for the vacant WBC lightweight title in 2021 and went on to secure a mega-fight with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, which took place last year. Garcia lost that night, but he had now made a big name in boxing before last night’s fight with Haney.
What next for Garcia?
It’s hard to say. The smart money would be on a rematch with Devin Haney. Given how it went and the media attention it accrued, it’s a bigger fight than the first one. Although Garcia put in a stellar performance, one better than most expected, the victory is still shrouded in controversy. Garcia missed the 140-lb limit by over three pounds, thereby losing a bet with his opponent and sacrificing $1.5 million dollars a day before the fight.
As a result, the WBC Super Lightweight Title was not available for Garcia to win on Saturday night. Considering he won the fight, it makes sense that Garcia fights again soon, with the belt being on the line this time (provided he makes weight).
On Friday, Garcia said that he doesn’t care much for winning belts; he wants to be involved in big fights. While that won’t be music to the ears of the governing bodies or hardcore boxing fans, it certainly is for the casuals and opens up other potential options for his next fight.
Ryan Garcia Vs. Sean O’Malley in the UFC?
This isn’t just a rumor; Garcia stated before his match with Haney that he envisaged Sean O’Malley as one of his next three opponents. He also told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour earlier this year that he wanted to cross over to the UFC and fight Sean O’Malley and was confident in his chances of winning.
It wouldn’t be the first time we have seen the sports of mixed martial arts and boxing crossover. Your parents may remember that in the mid-seventies, the most famous boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali, faced Antonio Inoki, a Japanese wrestler, in an MMA fight. For the rest of us, who can forget when Conor McGregor went to the boxing world to fight Floyd Mayweather in 2016, which became the second largest pay-per-view of all time?
The point is, a current boxing or MMA star crossing over into a different combat sport isn’t such a farfetched idea. Ryan Garcia has openly stated that he wants to fight Sean O’Malley in the UFC. We’ve already established that it can happen; the question is, will it happen?
Combat Sports Crossovers
In recent times, WWE superstar C.M. Punk wanted to try his hand at fighting in the Octagon, and UFC President Dana White obliged. In December 2014, CM Punk signed a multi-fight deal to compete in mixed martial arts, but a shoulder injury delayed his debut until September 2016, when he faced Mickey Gall. It didn’t go well for Punk, and he lost midway through the first round via a rear-naked choke submission in what was very much a one-sided contest. CM Punk went on to fight just once more in the UFC, another defeat that was later overturned to a no-contest following a positive drug test from his opponent. The experiment didn’t work out well for the wrestling superstar, but he gained a lot of respect for giving it a try, and the whole process brought a lot of new eyeballs to MMA.
Crossovers have been successful in the past, with Brock Lesnar (professional wrestling) and Holly Holm (boxing) being good examples. Ryan Garcia is only twenty-five years old and coming off the biggest win of his career against the unbeaten Devin Haney, a man not many gave him a chance to beat. Garcia is a bonafide star, so a fight in the UFC against a top Sean O’Malley wouldn’t be a gimmick fight in the sense that he is a legitimate threat to ‘Suga’. For this reason, a fight like this cannot be compared to the influencer fighting scene we have become accustomed to in recent times.
Is Garcia vs. O’Malley likely?
Despite showing interest in organizing Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk in MMA, Dana White has recently shut down talk of crossover fights as being ‘gimmicks’ and something he no longer wants to do. As mentioned before, Ryan Garcia vs. Sean O’Malley certainly wouldn’t be a gimmick – a UFC champion against one of the world’s biggest boxing stars.
If the UFC did agree to the fight, there would be some hurdles to overcome. Firstly, Dana White and Ryan Garcia’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, really do not like each other. While the negotiations would make for a great Netflix show, White and De La Hoya’s disdain for each other makes this a difficult fight to pull off.
Sean O’Malley is the UFC Bantamweight Champion and will be expected to defend his title later in the year. If he were to fight Ryan Garcia, it could mean an interim bantamweight title would have to be created to keep the division moving, something which the UFC may be reluctant to do.
Money is another hurdle. Ryan Garcia would have made millions in his fight with Haney, and it’s reasonable to assume he would command a similar figure, if not greater, to fight O’Malley, given that he would be putting himself in a compromising position competing in a sport he lacks experience in. The flip side of that is Garcia was happy to make a $500,000 bet with Devin Haney for every pound he went over the 140lb limit for their fight on Saturday, knowing full well he wouldn’t make the weight and would have to pay up ($1.5 million in total.) Maybe he doesn’t care about the paycheck so much after all?
Discussion about this post