RYAN GARCIA revealed he plans to retire at 26 to leave enough time to fight in the UFC.
Garcia, 22, is touted as boxing’s next ‘Golden Boy’ – the name his promoter Oscar De La Hoya once went by.
The lightweight sensation is unbeaten in 21 fights, and coming off a career best win in January, stopping Luke Campbell, 33, in round seven.
So it came as a shock when Garcia announced plans to hang up the gloves in just four years time.
But in conversation with retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren on his YouTube channel, he opened up on plans to make a move into MMA.
Garcia said: “Hey, let me tell you something Ben; I’ve never said this on air, I’ve always said I’m going to retire at 26.
“Everybody looks at me crazy, right? But I’m doing it to go into the MMA ring.
“So, I’m going to need you to teach me some wrestling techniques before I even start trying to dive in there.
“Some little wrestling, then we’ll go from there. So, I’ve never said that out loud in my life.
“But yeah, I plan to beat everybody I want to beat in boxing as quick as I can, get out – of course I could dive back for big opportunities – but I want to show the world not only can I box, I feel I can become the best warrior in the world.”
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UFC superstar Conor McGregor, 32, made his boxing debut in 2017, losing to Floyd Mayweather, 44, in a crossover spectacle.
And recently two-weight undisputed women’s champion Claressa Shields announced she had signed for Professional Fighters League.
Shields, 26, is set to make her MMA debut in June, having started training with UFC icon Jon Jones.
But only James Toney has transitioned from boxing to the UFC, but did so in 2010, aged 42.
Toney was beaten with ease in three minutes, taken down and submitted by Randy Couture.
Garcia said: “Nobody has ever dominated boxing and then tried to dominate UFC.
“They’ve done in later, later, later on in their career when they’re already done.
“But never when they’re still fresh and they still have some juice left in them.”
Garcia has flirted with a move into the cage, and called out McGregor as well as his training partner Dillon Danis.
Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo, who retired in May, wanted to instead face the boxer in the ring.
But talk has since died down, and Garcia is now open to working with Cejudo, 34, and Askren, 36, to gain grappling coaching.
He said: “Let’s do it. I’m down to hang out with both of you guys and you guys just turn me into a monster.
“I’ve got Henry Cejudo and Ben Askren in my corner, that’s pretty devastating to me.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
