Former interim WBC lightweight champion Ryan Garcia hasn’t even finished serving his one-year suspension, but he is already scheming about his return to the squared circle. The Victorville native is about to enter the ring on December 30th against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in an exhibition fight in Tokyo, part of the Rizin Decade. 

This comes months after he was suspended from boxing for testing positive for Ostarine during the Devin Haney fight in April earlier this year. While the win was turned into a no-contest, Garcia was ordered to pay $1.2 million in fines by the NYSAC. To make matters worse, the 26-year-old got sued by Haney for battery, fraud, and breach of contract. 

Regardless, while ‘The Flash’ prepares for his exhibition fight, he appeared in an interview with veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, where he shared his eventual plans to fight the likes of Jake Paul, his rival Haney, and also on his hit list was Gervonta Davis.

“You know, it could be against Jake Paul,” Garcia said when asked about his future prospects in the ring. “He was trying to beat up on Uncle Mike. We said we would run it one day, kind of like, ‘I gave birth to his boxing career. So, I’m here to end it.’” When probed further about the potential fight, Garcia revealed the weight class where he thinks the fight may happen.

Get the EssentiallySports Daily Newsletter. Stay ahead of the game with daily updates, exclusive stories, expert takes, and the biggest moments from the world's most popular sports.

“If I fought Jake, probably like 185. I really think they generally think that I’m probably too small. But like I said, I think skills pay the bills,” Garcia explained. He even added that if Paul performed the same way he did against legendary Mike Tyson earlier this month, Garcia believed he would knock out Paul in four or five rounds. 

Later in the interview, Helwani floated the idea of a rematch between Garcia and Haney, which is the first thing fans have been asking for. “It’s a little bit personal now. He sued me after the fight and that’s a real legitimate lawsuit that I’m going through. I think the rematch would be huge,” Garcia said. 

The 26-year-old claimed if Haney felt that he was cheated during the bout, they should have a rematch, promising, “I’m gonna do them worse because I didn’t even train for the fight… That was easy work.” This prompted Helwani to bring up another huge rematch involving Gervonta Davis, which Garcia seems to be open to. 

“I believe that me and ‘Tank’ can do it [at] the right weight at 140. And I think that’s probably the best fight,” Garcia told Ariel Helwani. It’s worth noting Davis and Garcia fought in their first fight at a 136-pound catchweight. “That’s something that I wish I could run back when I feel my healthiest and strongest,” he added. 

However, that’s not even the end of Garcia’s list.

Ryan Garcia wants to fight this former UFC bantamweight champion

‘King Ry’ is not opposed to a cross-over boxing match. He has said so in the past. His target? UFC fame Sean O’Malley. The duo have exchanged barbs online on several occasions, but a fight hasn’t become a reality yet. However, Garcia seems adamant about making the bout eventually. “Sean O’Malley, he didn’t fight his best that night,” Garcia said, reacting to O’Malley’s recent defeat. 

O’Malley suffered a decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at the Sphere in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Valley on September 15th. However, this loss doesn’t seem to phase Garcia. “I’m interested in it. He could make a run back,” Garcia said when asked whether the loss affects his desire for a fight. “He’s a big star regardless. He looked off that night, [a] couple fights. [If] he wins, we could run it again.” 

That said, it appears Ryan Garcia is planning a blockbuster return to the ring after his suspension is lifted. However, he will have to defeat Rukiya Anpo first. What did you think of the opponents Garcia has in mind?