Ilia Topuria and Ryan Garcia get into war of words, reigniting boxing vs. MMA debate
MMA great Ilia Topuria and boxing superstar Ryan Garcia got into an intense back and forth after "El Matador's" recent remarks.
MMA savant Ilia Topuria and boxing star Ryan Garcia have seemingly gotten into a heated war of words on social media. This comes in the aftermath of Topuria's remarks during a recent interview.
Topuria suggested that he'd love to box against Garcia and would handily beat him. "King Ry" responded by taking multiple jibes at the UFC fighter, which, in turn, resulted in a full-blown back and forth between the two athletes online.
Ilia Topuria and Ryan Garcia trade barbs over potential boxing face-off
In a recent appearance on the Kolmenero YouTube channel, former UFC featherweight champion and reigning UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria touched upon his interest in lacing up the boxing gloves someday. The Georgian-Spaniard suggested that he'd prioritize fighting a big-name boxer rather than simply going after the biggest payday he could fetch in that sport.
When asked about whether he'd consider clashing against Ryan Garcia inside the squared circle, Topuria stated, "That would be a huge fight. I'd love it. I see a fight like Ryan Garcia being very comfortable for me." Additionally, he opined that he'd "break" the American boxer and that their boxing match wouldn't go the distance.
Garcia soon responded to the aforementioned comments made by the UFC mainstay. In a post on X, "King Ry" wrote, "You are a damn good striker for MMA that's it. You wouldn't be sipping on tea after our fight you would be eating thru a straw after our fight. Stay in your lane. I'll gladly stay in mine."
In response, Topuria also took to X and opined that Garcia built his name simply with hype, whereas he built his by knocking legends out. He even warned that he'd give his pugilist counterpart a boxing lesson, in addition to insinuating that the American boxer isn't on his level. The UFC knockout artist proceeded to warn that he'll beat Garcia and the latter's next opponent, whom the boxer will face this September, in the same ring.
YOU BUILT YOUR NAME ON HYPE
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) May 21, 2026
I BUILT MINE BY PUTTING LEGENDS TO SLEEP
I WOULD GIVE YOU A BOXING LESSON
WE ARE NOT ON THE SAME LEVEL
BRING THE GUY YOU FIGHT IN SEPTEMBER
I WOULD BEAT⁰BOTH OF YOU⁰IN THE SAME RING https://t.co/iJPUtEEvkI
Ryan Garcia vs. Ilia Topuria - boxing vs. MMA debate reignited
The combat sports world has long witnessed fans and experts debate about whether boxing or MMA is the superior form of unarmed fighting. MMA legends such as Conor McGregor and Anderson Silva have tried their hand at professional boxing, albeit with mixed results. Alternatively, boxing greats like James Toney and Holly Holm crossed over to MMA, again, with variable outcomes.
On that note, Ilia Topuria and Ryan Garcia's war of words on X appeared to reignite the long-running boxing vs MMA debate. Replying to Topuria's aforementioned X post, Garcia asserted that he's knocked out fighters who are way better boxers than the UFC star. The reigning WBC welterweight kingpin also deemed him a "UFC hype job" and cautioned that many other MMA fighters have crossed over to and tasted defeat in boxing.
Not one to be outdone, Topuria hit back by alluding to Garcia's fight against Devin Haney from early 2024 -- a fight that had culminated in a majority decision win for Garcia but was later overturned to an NC (No Contest) after he tested positive for ostarine. Speaking of the same, the MMA star underscored that the "biggest win" of Garcia's career was marred by his drug test failure in regard to the said fight.
While Garcia warned Topuria to stay in MMA rather than venture into boxing, the UFC 155-pound titlist doubled down on the boxer's drug test failure from 2024 and deemed his apparent confidence as "artificial".
Ilia Topuria and Ryan Garcia are on the cusp of notable fights
Presently, UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is scheduled to face interim UFC lightweight titleholder Justin Gaethje in a title unification matchup at UFC Freedom 250. Their highly anticipated MMA bout will take place at the White House in Washington D.C., U.S.A., on June 14, 2026.
Meanwhile, WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia is expected to defend his title against Conor Benn in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on September 12, 2026. As such, a potential Topuria vs Garcia showdown in the boxing ring seems unlikely to materialize in the immediate future, but a number of fans continue to hope for the hypothetical fight to come to fruition inside the squared circle someday.
