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Ryan Garcia actually did it.

After one of the most bizarre lead-ups in recent boxing history, the controversial star pulled off an upset for the ages, knocking down Devin Haney three times en route to a stunning unanimous decision win on Saturday night in Brooklyn. Garcia missed weight by 3.2 pounds so he was unable to claim Haney’s WBC super lightweight title, but he ultimately still leaves the Barclays Center as one of the biggest names in boxing and the first man to defeat Haney in a professional contest.

Unsurprisingly, Garcia’s handiwork lit social media on fire. See how fighters reacted to 2024’s new frontrunner for boxing’s Fight of the Year below.

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Pros React
| BJPenn.com

Ah, it all makes sense now. (Maybe)

Ryan Garcia shocked the boxing world last night (Sat., April 20, 2024) when he defeated the previously unbeaten Devin Haney via a majority decision from inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (watch highlights!).

While the fight between Garcia and Haney was unbelievably fun, the lead-up to the fight was what everyone was talking about, as Garcia seemed to be entirely out of his mind.

And now, after the fight, there are some answers: he was drinking … every day.

“I don’t give a f—k what people say about me. I walked through the fire, and still held it down and still beat f—king Devin Haney, and still drank every day and still beat him – I did everything,” Garcia told reporters during the post-fight press conference. “What happened? False reality, right? I drank every single night, went out on the first Monday and Tuesday, and drank, drank, drank. What happened? I won. I’m not necessarily proud of it, but I’m just saying. It was a statement to say you guys can’t really f—k with me. I can do whatever I want.”

Garcia did open up and say part of the reason he drank is because he’s going through a lot in his personal life.

“I was just having fun, man. Look, I’m going through a lot,” Garcia said. “I went through a divorce, and a lot of s—t is happening to me, you know, outside my life, and it lowkey kind of broke me. So, I did what I felt like I needed to do to feel okay. So, I drank every day and did whatever I wanted. I’m not proud of it at all. I just pray for my kids, and hopefully, they are okay. I hope I made them proud.”

If Garcia was indeed intoxicated every day during training camp, it makes sense why he seemed completely unhinged on social media.

Hopefully, the 25-year-old boxing superstar will find peace after proving everyone wrong on 420.

For complete Haney vs. Garcia results, coverage and highlights click HERE.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Ryan Garcia walked out of “Game 7” with the win.

In his grudge match — the two split a six-fight series as amateurs — against Devin Haney on Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Garcia emerged with a majority decision victory after a roller-coaster 12-round contest. Garcia scored three knockdowns in the fight and had Haney visibly rocked on multiple occasions en route to scores of 114-110 and 115-109 in his favor. The third score was a 112-112 draw.

See the official scorecard below.

Judge Max DeLuca scored the 112-112 draw, while judges Eric Marlinski (114-110) and Robin Taylor (115-109) scored the bout for Garcia.

Garcia’s knockdowns led to a pair of 10-8 scores, and a 9-8 in Round 7 after he was penalized for continuing to throw punches after the referee ordered a break.

Though Garcia can celebrate a career highlight, his win was marred somewhat by an egregious weight miss. Garcia came in 3.2 pounds over the 140-pound limit for his bout with Haney, the reigning WBC super lightweight champion. Due to the miss, Garcia was ineligible to win the title.

According to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, Haney remains WBC champion despite the loss.

Afterward, both fighters indicated that they were open to a rematch, although Garcia made it clear that he’s never fighting below 143 pound again.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Ryan Garcia may have just pulled off the greatest troll job in the history of combat sports.

Displaying nothing short of bizarre behavior during the weeks leading up to his fight against Devin Haney, the 25-year-old California native walked into the ring on Saturday night as a massive underdog, with most expecting him to get blown out. What actually unfolded was nothing short of a stunning performance, as Garcia scored three brutal knockdowns before winning a majority decision to hand Haney the first loss of his professional career.

The final scorecards read 115-109, 114-110, and 112-112, as Garcia got the nod and picked up the biggest victory of his career.

Afterward, Garcia seemed to say the joke was on everybody who dared to doubt him.

“Come on, guys, you really thought I was crazy?” Garcia shouted after his win. “My left hook is my left hook. That’s blessed by God. Whenever I land it, it can put you out or down. You guys hate on me because I’m pretty and s***. That’s f****** up. The truth is in front of you.”

While there were moments were Garcia almost sleepwalked through rounds, when he finally erupted and came after it, Haney had no answer for the power coming for his chin.

Promising a fast start, Garcia came out throwing bombs and connected with a huge left hook that rocked Haney in the first exchange in the fight. With Haney backing up, Garcia stayed on the attack, unleashing a flurry of punches trying to seize on the moment to hurt the undefeated champion.

Haney eventually regained his composure and reset in the center of the ring, with Garcia settling down after the initial adrenaline dump. Replays after the opening round showed Haney’s eyes rolling back in his head after that first punch landed, but he didn’t go down to the canvas.

Despite a tough start, Haney showed no fear moving forward over the next few rounds as he established a slick lead jab and used feints to made Garcia miss with wild haymakers. Midway through the third round, Haney blasted Garcia with a stiff left hand of his own that briefly wobbled Garcia and got the Brooklyn crowd on their feet.

As time passed, Haney took control of the rounds, walking Garcia down and unloading fast combinations in succession. Garcia seemed content to just circle away and occasionally launch a bomb at him, but he was always a step behind Haney in the exchanges.

After refusing to really throw any punches or engage, Garcia opened the sixth with another barrage of shots, with a couple slipping through Haney’s defense. Haney was hurt momentarily, but he recovered to largely control the rest of the round.

The momentum shifted again at the start of the seventh when Garcia unleashed another series of punches, with another huge left hook that cracked Haney and sent him to the canvas for the first time in his career. Still on rubber legs, Haney tried to survive with Garcia in hot pursuit looking for the knockout.

A few moments later, as the referee tried to break the fighters apart, Garcia threw a punch as the action was paused. The referee deducted a point for Garcia throwing a punch after he called for a break, and that at least partially negated the knockdown that would have given Garcia a guaranteed 10-8 round.

Despite the point deduction, Garcia knew that knockdown changed everything for Haney moving forward.

“I just knew I had control after that,” Garcia said. “It’s hard to recover from big shots.”

Even in the brief moments when Haney started to outpoint his opponent with a technical game plan, the power from Garcia proved to be the difference maker. As the 10th round got underway, Garcia surged forward and unloaded another huge combination that dropped Haney again to his knee for the second knockdown in the fight.

Haney climbed back to his feet, but disaster struck again when Garcia blasted him with another huge left hook that put him on the canvas in the 11th. Garcia began celebrating as Haney struggled to do much of anything more than survive to the bell.

By the end of the fight, Garcia was wagging his tongue and taunting Haney as the crowd roared in approval. What was supposed to be a crowning achievement for Haney turned into his worst nightmare, with Garcia putting him down three times over 12 rounds.

“I’m disappointed with my performance,” Haney said. “He caught me early when I was sleeping on it. I fell asleep on the left hook. I fell asleep and he caught me with it. I thought it was a close fight still.”

Garcia relished the victory, but it can’t be ignored that he missed weight by three pounds, which negated his ability to win the title. Between that and Haney’s previously undefeated record, there’s a good shot these two will see each other again in the near future.

“Yeah, let’s run it back,” Garcia said.

It might take a little while for Haney to truly absorb what just happened, but he already appeared ready to answer that challenge.

“I would love to rematch,” Haney said. “He didn’t make weight so I’m still the champion. We can run it back.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

David Taylor won’t get a chance to compete for another championship after suffering a stunning upset loss at the U.S. wrestling trials on Saturday in State College, Penn.

Widely considered the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist Taylor was eliminated by fellow Penn State alum Aaron Brooks, who recently captured his fourth consecutive NCAA wrestling title under head coach Cael Sanderson.

Brooks eliminated Taylor with back-to-back wins in the best-of-three competition to secure his spot on the U.S. Olympic team. His performance was that much more impressive considering Taylor took him out in dominant fashion at the U.S. World Team Trials this past June before moving on to claim his third gold medal at the wrestling World Championships.

This time around, Brooks showed poise and power, stuffing Taylor’s aggressive takedowns and playing smart defense to get the win. The 23-year-old Brooks now enters the Olympics as a potential favorite to capture gold after eliminating Taylor to earn his spot on the U.S. team.

Meanwhile, Taylor, 33, may have just missed out his final chance to score another Olympic medal with his loss on Saturday.

Two-time Olympic medalist Kyle Snyder, who became the youngest gold medal winner in U.S. history in 2016 before capturing silver at the 2020 Games, earned a third straight birth to the U.S. team and now heads to Paris this summer. Snyder dispatched upstart contender Isaac Trumble in two straight matches to punch his ticket back for the 2024 Olympics.

Trumble earned his way to the finals after eliminating former Ohio State wrestler Kollin Moore, who defeated Olympic bronze medalist J’den Cox in the quarterfinals. Cox announced his retirement from wrestling after the loss, as the 29-year-old veteran left his shoes on the center of the mat to signify he was calling it a career.

After winning a bronze medal at the 2020 Games, Kyle Dake also heads back to another Olympics after taking out Jason Nolf in the finals on Saturday. Dake was a heavy favorite to claim gold in 2020, but suffered a a shocking upset loss of his own during the tournament before rebounding to win a bronze medal.

Dake competed just one week after the tragic death of his father but still powered through to make it to another Olympic team in 2024.

On the women’s side, Helen Maroulis returns for her third straight Olympics after becoming the first American woman to ever win gold back in 2016, and then claiming a bronze medal at the 2020 Games. Maroulis looks to cement her place among the greatest wrestlers in American history when she hunts for another medal win in Paris.

Kennedy Blades, 20, who counts veteran MMA coach Izzy Martinez as her wrestling instructor, pulled off a huge win on Saturday when she eliminated 2020 Olympic silver medalist Adeline Gray in two straight matches. A nine-time medalist at the World Championships, Gray wasn’t able to stop Blades’ dominant run to join the U.S. Olympic team and represent the country in 2024.

Another 20-year-old prodigy also made the Olympic team after Amit Elor shut down Forrest Molinary in two straight matches. At age 17, Elor was too young to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, but she’s made an immediate impact since hitting 18.

Elor has won gold in back-to-back World Championships and she’ll be the odds-on favorite to capture gold at the 2024 Olympics as well.

The complete results for the U.S. Olympic wrestling world team trials can be found below, including notations where some weight classes have not yet actually qualified for the Games in Paris. Those wrestlers have one more chance at an upcoming tournament to qualify in the weight classes or the U.S. will not send athletes to Paris in those two divisions.

Men’s Freestyle finals:

86kg: Aaron Brooks def. David Taylor (wins 2-0 in best of three matches — Brooks qualifies for the Olympics)

74kg: Kyle Dake def. Jason Nolf (wins 2-0 in best of three matches, Dake qualifies for his second straight Olympics)

97kg: Kyle Snyder def. Isaac Trumble (wins 2-0 in best of three matches, Snyder qualifies for his third straight Olympics)

125kg: Mason Parris def. Hayden Zillmer (wins 2-0 in best of three matches — Parris qualifies for the Olympics)

57kg: Spencer Lee def. Thomas Gilman (wins 2-0 in best of three matches — Lee still needs to qualify for the Olympics in this weight class)

65kg: Zain Retherford Def. Nick Lee (wins 2-0 in best of three matches — Retherford still needs to qualify for the Olympics in this weight class)

Women’s Freestyle finals:

68kg: Amit Elor def. Forrest Molinary (wins 2-0 in best of three matches — Elor qualifies for the Olympics)

57kg: Helen Maroulis def. Jacarra Winchester (wins 2-0 in best of three matches — Maroulis qualifies for her third straight Olympics)

50kg: Sarah Hildebrandt def. Audrey Jimenez (wins 2-0 in best of three matches — Hildebrandt qualifies for her second straight Olympics)

76kg: Kennedy Blades def. Adeline Gray (wins 2-0 in best of three matches, Blades qualifies for the Olympics

62kg: Kayla Miracle def. Macey Kilty (wins 2-0 in best of three matches, Miracle qualifies for her second straight Olympics)

53kg: Dominique Parrish def. Haley Augello (wins 2-0 in best of three matches — Parrish qualifies for the Olympics)

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Despite fighting just last week, Bo Nickal has reportedly signed the dotted line for his next fight inside the octagon.

The wrestling phenom has been an outstanding addition to the UFC’s middleweight roster. His Olympic-level grappling has been a huge factor in his success just six fights into his professional career in the sport, and his striking ability looks more impressive each time he competes.

Although many didnt like his placement on the card, Bo Nickal kept his 100% finish rate intact when he scored a submission victory over Cody Brundage at UFC 300. Having just fought a week ago, rumors are beginning to pick up about Nickal’s next opponent.

According to Jacob Malkoun, both himself and Bo Nickal have agreed to face one another at the highly-anticipated UFC 302 card on June 1.

“Thanks for Mick Maynard [for] making this fight happen,” Malkoun said on Instagram. “Respect to Bo Nickal and his team for accepting the fight.”

“[It’s] going to be a good test but I’m ready. Not bad for an IT guy.”

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A post shared by Jacob Malkoun (@jacobmalkoun)

Jacob Malkoun secured a big win last time out when he finished the dangerous Andre Petroski early into the second round. ‘Mamba’ has been hit and miss since debuting in the UFC as an undefeated prospect almost four years ago, carrying a 4-3 record in the promotion.

Related: Dana White announces UFC 302 headliner and co-main event

UFC 302 full fight card

If the Bo Nickal vs. Jacob Malkoun fight goes ahead, it will be adding to an already stacked fight card.

UFC 302 will be headlined by Islam Makhachev’s return. The Russian fan favorite is looking to defend his lightweight throne against challenger Dustin Poirier.

The co-main will see Sean Strickland compete for the first time since losing his title. The controversial middleweight will collide with Paulo Costa in a five-round affair.

MAIN CARD

• (C) Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
• Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa
• Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez
• Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov

PRELIMS

• Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
• Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
• Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
• Phil Rowe vs. Jake Matthews
• Hyun Sung Park vs. Andre Lima
• Sumudaerji vs. Joshua Van
• Roman Kopylov vs. Cesar Almeida
• Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski
• Niko Price vs. Alex Morono

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