Boxing star Ryan Garcia willing to do MMA, fight Conor McGregor to 'prove a point'

Ryan Garcia has it all mapped out. MMA could be in his future – and so could Conor McGregor.

Ryan Garcia is on an upward trajectory in the world of boxing – but that doesn’t mean he’s focused solely on the present.

Garcia, 22, plans to retire from boxing at 26. When he uses the word “retirement,” though, he doesn’t mean he’ll permanently walk away from combat sports. Garcia won’t simply fight just to fight. Instead, he’ll take on challengers who people think will defeat him.

“You’ve seen in the past fighters who retired and came back,” Garcia said in a recent interview on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “This is what I will say. I still plan to retire at 26 – yet, if I am to return back to the ring, I will only battle people (who) people at that time say, ‘There’s no way Ryan will beat him.’ That’s the only way I’m coming back. ”

Garcia has been a professional boxer since 17. While boxing has been his sole competitive focus, the WBC interim lightweight champion isn’t ruling out a transition to MMA – should it be in the public’s interest. It’s about the challenge, even if that challenge is UFC star Conor McGregor.

“At 26, I still plan to retire,” Garcia said. “But if I do return back in the ring, I will promise everybody that I will fight people that they say I won’t beat. (Do) you know what I’m willing to do? I haven’t really said this out loud. What I plan to do is – say, at 26, I’m done, retired, and boxing is all good, right? … If they say, ‘OK, you’ve beaten everyone in the ring, right?’ (If) somebody goes, ‘This ain’t real fighting. Real fighting is legs, choking, submissions, all that.’ Guess what I’ll do? I’ll go prove to them that I’m the best fighter all-around in the world. I’m talking about hands. I’m talking about wrestling.

“I’ll go to MMA to prove a point that God is greatest. I’ll go beat whoever in MMA they say I won’t beat. If it has to be Conor McGregor (I fight), I will. I’m not saying this to get money. I don’t care about money. I’m saying this because it’s just how I feel.”

WBC lightweight interim champ @KingRyanG has said he wants to retire by 26 but told us if he does keep fighting it'll be in the octagon… really.

LISTEN:#UFC @danawhite @oscardelahoya @canelo @ufc #boxing pic.twitter.com/tqIOqAexp6

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 14, 2021

Fresh off a body-shot TKO victory over Luke Campbell earlier this month, Garcia (21-0 boxing) doesn’t have his next fight booked.

Meanwhile, McGregor (22-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) is scheduled to headline UFC 257 on Jan. 23 against fellow lightweight contender Dustin Poirier in a rematch of their September 2013 bout.