"Actually pretty sad" - Sean O'Malley's coach shares fresh perspective on Ryan Garcia's antics
Sean O'Malley and Ryan Garcia have gone back and forth online about a potential fight, with 'KingRy' stating that he would be able to defeat 'Sugar' in an MMA bout.
Garcia is also preparing to face Devin Haney for the WBC lightweight title on April 20. But the talented pugilist has displayed some concerning behavior over recent weeks, with suggestions that he may be struggling with substance abuse as well as potential mental health concerns being raised.
Tim Welch, the longtime coach of O'Malley, even pointed to 'KingRy' potentially having a cocaine problem while discussing the boxer's comments about 'Sugar' in an interview in March.
However, during a recent interview following UFC 299, where the bantamweight champion defeated Marlon Vera, Welch was interviewed by Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.
He was asked about Garcia's comments once again and said this:
"At first I thought it was really funny, I was like, 'Holy cow this guy is on serious crack.' But now that it's gone so much and I've been seeing more of him on Twitter, it's almost past the point of being funny. You box your whole life like that and you have that mnay concussions, and then you're smoking that much weed. Then you're drinking alcohol on a daily basis. Then you're around people who aren't that good for you. It just seems like he's just having some manic episodes... It's actually pretty sad."
Watch Sean O'Malley's coach discuss Ryan Garcia below from 23:20:
UFC welterweight laughs off Ryan Garcia saying he can beat Sean O'Malley in MMA
Gilbert Burns has laughed off Ryan Garcia's recent claim that he could defeat Sean O'Malley in the octagon with six months of MMA training.
'Sugar' and Garcia have exchanged words for years, but until recently, 'KingRy' had not indicated he would face the UFC bantamweight in a cage. The boxer's comments have raised the eyebrows of many within the combat sports community, and during a recent interview, Burns was asked to share his thoughts on Garcia's comments.
'Durinho' was interviewed by TMZ Sports, where he said this:
"So we're all doing it wrong? You can do it in three or four months [but we can't]? It's kicking, it's knees, it's elbows, it's clinch, wrestling, cage... I know he's got a quick left hook but a couple of calf kicks... Oh my God!"
Watch Burns' interview below from 3:55: