Report: Ryan Garcia, banned in the US, could fight abroad

Ryan Garcia has been on a downward spiral over the past few months as the famous boxer has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Even before his WBC super lightweight title fight with Devin Haney on April 20, Garcia began behaving erratically, spreading conspiracy theories and appearing drunk in public.

More news: Ryan Garcia excluded from WBC due to racist insults

Garcia was almost 3.5 pounds underweight before the fight against Haney – and still put in a good performance. Garcia won by decision, but was unable to win the title because he did not make the weight required for the fight.

A few days after Garcia’s dominant win, a banned substance called Ostarine was detected in his urine sample. PED violations are taken very seriously in the sport and an investigation was launched. Garcia’s B sample was subsequently tested and also came back positive.

Garcia’s apparent use of performance-enhancing substances resulted in a one-year suspension, a $1 million payment to Golden Boy Promotions and a $10,000 fine to the boxing commission. To make matters worse, Garcia was then expelled from the WBC after using racial slurs on a livestream.

Garcia will now effectively no longer fight in the United States, at least until his ban ends in April 2025. However, it is unclear whether another organization would want to take him on. An international circuit could now be Garcia’s home.

Longtime MMA insider Ariel Helwani revealed on his show “The MMA Hour” that there are rumors that Garcia will appear at the RIZIN3 event.

According to Helwani, “There are rumors that he (Garcia) will appear at the RIZIN event in July, which also features Manny Pacquiao. But I’m not sure in what capacity. If RIZIN wanted to use him, they wouldn’t have to follow or respect any regulations in North America, so that could be one thing, if he actually fought, that would be crazy. Again, it doesn’t necessarily have to be MMA with RIZIN.”

Curiously, Garcia showed rolls and MMA training on his X-side, suggesting he needs a trainer. UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell also offered that he would be willing to train the boxer.

The RIZIN events will feature disciplines from MMA to kickboxing and now boxing, with Pacquiao on the card. Garcia could still be put on the card as a boxer, but Helwani also hints that MMA could be in the pipeline.

Despite the controversy surrounding Garcia, there is no denying that he draws crowds. He would likely draw a lot of spectators if he came to RIZIN, be it for boxing or MMA.