With Ryan Garcia set to defend his welterweight title against Conor Benn this weekend, he sits down with ESPN to share some of his final thoughts on his career arc and the matchup at hand as he looks to continue his journey in the sport. Here are some excerpts of what Garcia had to say with the full video interview in the link below.
On the narrative that he’ll beat Benn so long as he’s focused
“I see it as a bit unfair. I’ve had two fights where it didn’t go my way but you’ve seen the full body of work. All the fights I’ve been in have been entertaining, have been exciting,
have been great, and certain circumstances I would like to see certain people go into a fight the way I had to during certain circumstances and see how good they are mentally.
“This is a marathon and I had to learn from a couple of experiences that aren’t normal to go through but you learn from there and now I’m in a great space and I’m a champion. So, it’s much different now.”
On his career coming full circle
“A lot of people had a lot of expectations for me as I was coming up: ESPN prospect of the year, many other things as I was coming up, a lot of expectations. People kind of figured I would get here but everything worked out the way it should be. A lot of character development, a lot of learning experiences from attention to being a professional in your sport.
“For me, it’s like you got to learn it all on your own and I’m at that place where everything came together. It just so happened to be…There’s not going to be anything that’s really going to throw it off at this moment. The training’s been done, everything’s been done. You’re just doing to see an A+ performance, that’s all you’re going to see.
“I’m just going to continue following the path I’m on right now, make the necessary adjustments, evolve so that my next fight I stay the same and even get better.”
On what he respects most about Benn
“He has a lot of heart in taking on tough challenges and pushing himself. I definitely respect that and his attitude. I think he has a good attitude towards the game and wants to excite the fans and that’s important for the sport.”
On Benn’s confidence heading into the fight
“I don’t care how confident he is or if he’s not. I don’t really put too much mind into that. You can be happy, you can be confident, your body has a breaking point, your mind has a breaking point. Skills, experience pays dividends in the ring. All that goes out the window when the fights starts because you’ve got to do it now. I can be super confident in playing a video game I’ve never played before but them I’m playing a guy that knows how to play it — I’m going to lose, I don’t care if I believe in it or not.”
On seeking a KO of Benn
“I’m here to make a statement. I’ve not been shy about that. I’ve said five rounds and below. That means I’m coming with mean intentions and I’m not here to dance my way to a decision, but I’m also not here to be stupid, at the end of the day. But would it be amazing? Yes.”
