Ryan Garcia has issued a warning to all MMA fighters thinking about ditching the Octagon for the boxing ring.
It came after Anthony Joshua delivered a brutal second-round knockout to beat Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Friday evening.
The British fighter put in an excellent performance, slamming the former UFC heavyweight champion to the canvas three times in the first two rounds.
Ngannou, making his second professional appearance in the boxing ring, had scared Tyson Fury in his previous fight by knocking the Gypsy King to the ground but was obliterated by Anthony Joshua on Friday evening.
“Let this be a big warning to MMA fighters!” Garcia wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Anthony Joshua delivered a brutal second-round knockout on Friday, beating Francis Ngannou
Ryan Garcia told MMA fighters to ‘stop coming to boxing’ after Ngannou was defeated
Garcia issued a warning to MMA fighters hoping to enter the boxing ring through his X account
‘Stop boxing, it’s only going to get worse. It’s even more fun if we just go to your sport! About! A smack.’
Ngannou is not the first MMA star to turn his hand in boxing, with Ben Askren being defeated by Jake Paul, while Tyron Woodley, a former UFC welterweight champion, suffered the same fate at the hands of the YouTube boxer.
Conor McGregor also once traded the MMA mitts for a pair of boxing gloves and took on Floyd Mayweather in 2017, but ultimately lost to the undefeated champion.
On Friday night, McGregor was also called up by Tommy Fury, who wants to get back in the ring soon after recovering from a hand injury.
Garcia also passed on his well wishes to Ngannou after suffering a ferocious right hook that sent him crashing to the canvas.
‘I send healing prayers to Francis! Your courage and courage must be commendable.
“Congratulations Anthony Joshua.”
The British fighter could now set up a long-awaited fight against his compatriot Fury.
Joshua will be hoping the Gypsy King can take all of Usyk’s belts when they finally meet in their postponed undisputed clash on May 18.
The British fighter had knocked the former UFC star to the canvas three times during the fight in Saudi Arabia
Ngannou apologized to his fans after the fight, claiming he had ‘let you all down’ but vowed to bounce back after a ‘bad day at the office’
Many, including Joshua, had believed Ngannou had won his previous fight against Fury, with the former heavyweight champion saying he should become WBC heavyweight champion after knocking out the former MMA star.
‘Francis Ngannou defeated the WBC world heavyweight champion. I should be WBC World Heavyweight Champion now! He’s a great fighter,” Joshua said after Friday’s fight.
Garcia, meanwhile, is preparing to challenge Devin Haney for the WBC super lightweight championship in April, but concerns have arisen over his welfare in recent weeks.
A series of disturbing messages posted to his social media accounts over the past week, including some satanic references, contain photographic evidence that aliens exist and that he previously witnessed “human trafficking.”
Garcia demonstrated his return to training by hitting the heavy bag in the clip shared on social media
Despite his personal issues, Garcia still faces Devin Haney next month
Garcia sparked fear among his family after posting a video in which an unidentified person claimed in the caption that the individual’s throat had been slit.
He has said he will still fight Haney on April 20 despite the worrying reports, with Oscar De La Hoya dismissing concerns about Garcia’s well-being.
“I have been in contact with Ryan Garcia,” De La Hoya told Fight Hub TV. ‘I spoke to him yesterday. I literally did that, we were video chatting, we were FaceTiming each other. He looks good. He looks good, he looks ready. I’m telling you.’