UFC

RYAN GARCIA is eyeing a shock move into MMA following his boxing ban over a positive drugs test.The fighter failed two tests before April’s win over Devin Haney, which ended the latter’s unbeaten record.Ryan Garcia is eyeing a move into UFC after being banned from boxing for a yearCredit: GettyGarcia failed two drugs tests before beating Devin Haney, with the result now a no-contestCredit: GettyThat has now been restored, with the result declared a no-contest.Garcia’s team maintain he is a “victim of substance contamination” after he declared his “retirement” on Thursday.And after reaching a settlement with the New York Commission, Garcia will now be suspended for at least one year.He will also hand back his share of the Haney contract worth around £900,000.READ MORE IN BOXINGAnd Garcia has been fined £8,000 too.But he now appears to be keen on moving into the octagon after firing a message to Dana White on social media.Garcia boomed: “They took my victory away. I never f’ing cheat. F you!“Take my victory away, add that on to the list of the s*** I’m already going through.Most read in BoxingEURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERS“I’m ready for business.  Get ready. I already ain’t give a f***. Run when you see me.“I’m headed to the UFC. Dana I want my 50gs. For real Dana White hit me up.”Ryan Garcia in brawl with Caleb Plant at Gervonta Davis’ fight after feuding with boxing star online Following his suspension from boxing, Garcia’s camp released a statement defending the fighter.It read: “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.”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.”For many years, Ryan has voluntarily submitted to random testing, even during out-of-competition periods, and has never had any issues.”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 fans will always remember his performance against Haney as a masterclass, and that will never be erased.”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.READ MORE SUN STORIES”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!”Ryan Garcia $1million crownRYAN GARCIA wore a crown worth $1million for his ring walk before fighting Devin Haney.
The American boxer’s head gear caught the eye of boxing fans before and after his shock victory.
The 25-year-old headed to the ring draped in a white robe as he wore a diamond encrusted crown.
Holding 1kg of gold and over 400 carats of diamonds the crown was made by Texas-based jeweller The Ice Champ.
Garcia’s gown was also made up of 15,000 diamonds and took 10 days to create.
He also told TMZ before the bout: “He was like ‘let’s create something where the champ of the boxing world and the champ of the jewellery world connect and make something unique. We created a unique crown.”
Read more about Ryan Garcia. More

SAUDI ARABIA wants to take over boxing and consolidate all the rival factions into one £4billion UFC-like mega company with a stunning three-point plan.The kingdom’s Public Investment Fund – which already owns Newcastle United – is speaking to the sport’s major promoters and sanctioning bodies, who usually work fiercely against each other, about folding under one umbrella.Saudi Arabia are looking to unify the world of boxing under one bannerCredit: GettyThe country has already played host to big fights including Oleksandr Usyk’s win over Tyson FuryCredit: GettyThe early talks are about firstly streamlining the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO into one boxing body and world title belt.The second point is forcing warring promoters like Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn and Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya to work hand-in-hand.And the third is also the idea of stripping back the 16 hard-to-follow weight classes to a far more manageable figure.There are currently 16 major weight classes, from the 7st 10lb light-flyweight right up to the unlimited heavyweight pinnacle of over 14st 4lbs.READ MORE IN BOXINGThe WBC and WBA have even forced through another division – to muddy the water even further – with a bridgerweight class of 14st lbs up to 16st.At any one time there can be up to SIXTY FOUR world champions, across all weight classes and sanctioning bodies, leaving fight fans as confused as they are angry.Following the sport is also cripplingly expensive and impossible in some situations.In the UK, TNT, Sky Sports and streaming app DAZN all need to be subscribed to in order to catch all of the major bouts.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAnd even stumping up to all three doesn’t guarantee you all the significant fights live from the USA and around the rest of the world.The sport has never been more fragmented or less popular.EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Joshua expected to fight winner of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk even if Gypsy King gets revenge on UkrainianBut Turki Alalshikh – chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority and close advisor to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – is a boxing super-fan who is dedicated to returning the sport to its former glory.Alalshikh has already taken Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to the desert to compete in iconic fights.And he is bankrolling an August 3 show in Los Angeles – complete with an Eminem concert.Talks are also advanced for a Wembley Stadium spectacular in September, to continue promoting the Riyadh Season brand, with AJ set to star at the top of the stacked card.And beyond that the plan is to centralise all the best parts of the sport in the same way Dana White did with the UFC.The Ultimate Fighting Championship – bought out by Endeavour for around £3bn in 2016 – is the clear Premier League of mixed martial arts, with all of the best male and female fighters competing in their eight male divisions and three female classes.Inside the Gypsy King’s royal courtTYSON FURY is one of the biggest characters in sport. More

SAVANNAH MARSHALL will have boxing and MMA royalty when she takes to the cage for the first time. The boxing world champion is signed to the Professional Fighters League and prepares to make her cage debut on Saturday against Mirela Vargas.Savannah Marshall ahead of her MMA debutIn her corner will be boxing coach Peter Fury – the uncle to British legend Tyson. But leading the way will be Andy Aspinall and his son Tom, who is the current UFC interim heavyweight champion. Marshall, 33, told SunSport: “I’ve been training with Andy Aspinall, I’ve known Andy for about seven years. “So obviously I’ve got Peter who’s on the boxing side and Andy who’s BJJ, boxing and a bit of everything really. Most read in MMA“Tom’s going to come up and be in the corner too, which will be nice.” Fury is a veteran trainer on the British boxing scene and famously led nephew Tyson to iconic victory over Wladimir Klitschko. But Marshall revealed it was the seasoned boxing coach who convinced her into the MMA switch. She said: “To be honest, I feel like he kinda half pushed me into it. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”He was really keen on it. And fair play to Peter because he’s really let Andy take the reins. “He understands that it’s a totally different sport and what works for me in the boxing ring won’t work for me in the cage.My brothers are signed to Man Utd and one scored for England… but I’m a star in MMA training with UFC legends“He’s been really open minded about it to be honest.” Marshall follows boxing rival Claressa Shields over to the PFL, where the American is 2-1 in the cage. Shields, 29, won their undisputed boxing fight in 2022 and the two are lined up for a sensational rematch in MMA. Marshall added: “My focus is getting the rematch back with Claressa but I obviously know there’s a lot of cogs that need turning and it’s whether or not she wants it or not. “If it doesn’t materialise I would consider going into the league. The only thing is, the weight I fight at isn’t part of the league. “I’d have to drop down and it’s a weight I’ve never touched on before, so that is a big question mark for me.” Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall are lined up with an MMA rematchCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More