Following his insanely short notice UFC 303 fight, Dan Ige has called for a rather unique MMA matchup against one of boxing’s biggest stars.
In late June, boxing icon Ryan Garcia reached a settlement agreement with the NYSAC after his positive test for a banned substance for his bout against Devin Haney; resulting in a fine, the win being overturned, and a suspension from the sport.
Now, as the divisive superstar is forced to sit out on the sidelines for one year, he’s finding himself being called out left, right and center by a myriad of combat sports veterans; including a fan-favorite UFC featherweight.
Ryan Garcia hints at MMA move after year-long suspension from boxing
It didn’t take long for Garcia to respond to the settlement agreement back in June, posting a series of messages on his social media channels claiming that he’d be willing to fill that year-long suspension with a big-money fight in 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 Garcia has long been feuding with bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, another top-tier UFC fighter is now calling his shot – one that’s already forced a response from ‘King Ry’.
They took my victory away
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) June 20, 2024
Dan Ige calls out Ryan Garcia for unique MMA bout, Garcia responds
Last week, Dan ‘50K’ Ige did what very few thought was even possible; he stepped up to fight on the UFC 303 PPV card in the co-main event of the evening, on just a few hours’ notice.
Despite not getting his hand raised in Las Vegas, Ige’s short-notice acceptance of the fight has made him a legend in the MMA community and likely sees him wield some serious leverage over the promotion for his next bout.
Well, ‘50K’ is certainly calling his shot – taking to social media to state: “Fighting Ryan Garcia at the sphere. No weigh in. No takedowns.”
Less than four hours later, Garcia responded: “Heard a g** ufc fighter called me out to fight at the sphere. Whenever you want. I don’t give a f***.”
Whilst the possibility of Garcia vs Ige taking place at The Sphere for UFC 306 (UFC Noche) under a modified ruleset is certainly a stretch, the fans have more than taken to the idea.
“That would be dope,” “That would be gas”, and “You got something here,” read some of the top responses, with one fan even tagging Dana White directly with the caption, “Would never do it but he should.”
Even fellow UFC fan-favorite Jared Gordon chimed in with “If this was true I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Garcia ‘looks bigger than Canelo’ in new training footage
Despite Ige having fought at UFC 303 at a catchweight of 165lbs, at least both he and Garcia typically-speaking are in and around the same weight classes.
Yet following news of his suspension hitting the airwaves, Garcia would appear to start bulking in size as he prepares for a year out of action.
The fans were quick to point out this larger Garcia frame, with ‘King Ry’ showcasing his typical lightning-fast hand speed in front of a giant mural of former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
“Ryan looking like he’s a light heavyweight, wow,” stated one impressed fan, with another joking that it’s “Mad, this guy literally looks bigger than Canelo.”
“Dude has packed on some weight.”
“That dudes crazy for fighting 140 pounders. Fight someone your own size.”
“The dude is built like an MMA fighter.”
UFC 306 goes down live from The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, the headlining attraction of that PPV event has not yet been officially revealed.
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