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Ryan Garcia Called Out by UFC 303 Star for Sphere Showdown with ‘No Takedowns'

Garcia has an interesting offer - if he really wants to compete inside the UFC Octagon.

Christopher De Santiago

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Garcia apparently wants in on the UFC after being suspended from the sport of boxing.

Crossover Fight for Garcia?

The 26-year-old Garcia was handed a one-year suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission as a result of a positive drug test for ostarine - a performance enhancing drug that Garcia has denied taking for his fight against Devin Haney in April.

Boxing News: Ryan Garcia Reacts to New Drug Test Result from Devin Haney Fight

Garcia's impressive decision win over Haney would also be overturned and send the boxer's future into question after this suspension, with "King" Ryan even floating around the UFC as a potential next stop for his career... multiple times.

Dan Ige's Offer To Ryan Garcia: "No Weigh In. No Takedowns."

Garcia has entertained a crossover fight with Sean O'Malley before but it's not the UFC Bantamweight Champion who'd come calling for a fight with Garcia this week, as featherweight contender Dan Ige threw his name in the hat to be Garcia's first fight outside the boxing ring.

"Fighting @RyanGarcia at the sphere," Ige wrote on 'X'. "No weigh in. No takedowns."

Of course, Ige is talking about fighting at Riyadh Season Noche UFC, which is set to take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Sep. 14. Noche UFC goes down on Mexican Independence Day weekend, with just a few fights announced so far for the $17M event.

The fighting Hawaiian out of Las Vegas just fought last weekend at UFC 303, accepting a bout with Diego Lopes on just a few hours' notice after Lopes' original opponent Brian Ortega pulled out on fight night.

Last-Minute Madness! Dan Ige & Diego Lopes Go to War at UFC 303

Ige made the catchweight of 165lbs in a surprise weigh-in and proceeded to make it the distance with Lopes, losing a competitive unanimous decision in the end. For Garcia, "50K" says he won't need the scale or his wrestling pedigree to beat the boxer inside the Octagon.

Closed Mouths Don't Get Fed

While it's not the most realistic opponent Dan Ige could have asked for, the UFC Featherweight has made it more than clear he wants to fight at Noche UFC this September.

Read More MMA & WWE News

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• UFC 304: Tom Aspinall Impressed by Alex Pereira, Opens Door for Heavyweight Fight

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Christopher De Santiago
CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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