Ryan Garcia issues statement as controversial year-end exhibition fight against Rukiya Anpo gets postponed due to injury
Ryan Garcia recently released a statement on his exhibition matchup with Rukiya Anpo getting postponed due to Garcia suffering an injury. In addition, a new expected date for their boxing showdown has also been announced.
Garcia's hopes of returning to the square circle were interrupted after 'King Ry' hurt his wrist during training, preventing him from facing Anpo in an exhibition boxing contest in Tokyo, Japan on Dec. 30.
This Sunday, FANMIO, the event's promoter alongside RIZIN, issued a press release announcing the bout's postponement and revealing that Garcia and Anpo will fight early next year.
MMA Fighting shared the 26-year-old's remarks, which said:
''I’ve been eagerly preparing for my upcoming exhibition fight in Japan, training hard in Dallas over the past several weeks. Unfortunately, I sustained a hand injury during training and returned to Los Angeles to be seen by the doctor, who has advised me to postpone my December 30 exhibition. This is only a temporary setback, and I sincerely apologize to my fans, FANMIO, RIZIN and Anpo for the delay. No one is more disappointed than I am. Thank you for being so supportive.” [H/t: MMA Fighting]
Garcia's last boxing outing earlier this year was marred with controversy. He faced Devin Haney on April 20 but was unable to challenge Haney for the WBC super lightweight title as Garcia missed weight by 3.5 pounds. Garcia went on to drop Haney thrice before securing a majority decision win.
The New York State Athletic Commission suspended Garcia from professional boxing for a year when he tested positive for ostarine during his bout with Haney, overturning his victory to a no-contest. However, Garcia has repeatedly denied taking any illegal substances.
Rukiya Anpo reacts to Ryan Gracia pulling himself out of their boxing contest
Ryan Garcia recently revealed that his exhibition boxing match against Rukiya Anpo was scrapped after suffering from a wrist injury while training. The event's organizers stated that their fight will be scheduled early next year.
Anpo expressed his thoughts on Garcia's injury in the aforementioned press release, saying:
''I have been told that Ryan is out due to an injury. I am disappointed to say the least, but knocking out an injured opponent won’t mean anything, so I wish him a speedy recovery and hope I can face the 100 percent version of Ryan Garcia. Get well soon and I’ll let you kiss my fist any time!” [H/t: MMA Fighting]