“Ryan can’t fight anywhere right now”: Dana White ends Ryan Garcia’s UFC dream with one sentence

The way Dana White sees it, Ryan Garcia would stay in boxing for some time. Of course, he is currently serving the one-year ban for failing the doping tests for the Devin Haney fight. Of course, he was banned by the WBC. But that doesn't mean that the young boxer can't try his luck on a platform other than the ring. First of all, fans might as well remember his online feud and “Suga” Sean O’Malley.

Two months ago, Garcia tweeted that he wants to join the UFC. A few weeks ago, clips of the young boxer trying his hand at grappling attracted a lot of attention. Given his young age, experience and skill in a striking sport like boxing, and perhaps some basic knowledge of ground fighting techniques, Ryan Garcia could have a chance. However, he doesn't seem to think so. In an extensive interview, the UFC president shared his thoughts on several topics.

UFC: We'll leave it for now, thanks, Ryan Garcia.

About half an hour into the discussion, one of the moderators of the “Full Send Podcast” asked Dana White: “Things might be a little different in the UFC now…how about Ryan Garcia? I know he said he wanted to fight in the UFC, not a boxing match.”

Dana White replied briefly: “Ryan can't fight anywhere right now, he's suspended. You know what I mean. I don't know what the situation is. What we do in the UFC is the best in the world. We fight the best. That's what we do, you know.”

The answer came from Dana White, who Jake Paul. Given the way Jake Paul called the UFC champion Alex PereiraOne of the podcast's hosts asked White if the UFC would ever consider adding Jake Paul or another influential combat sports fighter to its roster. The Manchester, Connecticut-born combat sports entrepreneur disagreed, claiming that this is not the way the UFC does business.

In June, Ryan Garcia announced: “I'm on my way to the UFC.He later added in another post: “I'm looking forward to my first fight in the UFC.“Still, what Dana White said pretty much sums up the UFC’s assessment of his chances at the moment.

Still, is there any hope for 'KingRy'?

Now, as much as it is about White's views on Garcia's chances of competing in a mixed martial arts bout in the UFC, the bigger question remains whether the young boxer has the wherewithal to compete in a discipline that is the closest thing to a real fight. According to reports, the light heavyweight Khalil Rountree sounded pretty optimistic about Ryan Garcia's chances in the Octagon.

In an interview with 'GiveMeSport' he even suggested some training sessions to the young boxer to improve his performance.”I think adding kicks and takedowns…that's another element. When you have a high level boxer who has done that before and knows how to fight, their instincts respond to boxing.“Every high-level boxer has a fair chance in the UFC,” said Rountree.

There are cases of fighters who started their combat sports careers as boxers, but at some point they switched to mixed martial arts. So if Ryan Garcia wants to make such a career change on paper, he can do it. But the fact is that it can be easier said than done. It takes a certain level of expertise to face the top-class fighters of the UFC. To reach their level, even if he decides to dedicate himself full-time to MMA.

But who can deny the look that signing a superstar like Ryan Garcia could give the UFC?