Ryan Garcia pulled off a majority decision victory over Devin Haney, capturing the attention of none other than Conor McGregor.
Despite Garcia missing the weight limit by 3.2 pounds and failing to secure the WBC super lightweight title, which remained with Haney, McGregor praised Garcia’s resilience and spirit. He expressed his admiration with a message stating:
“Godspeed to both men and teams in this crazy world and congrats Ryan Garcia! Tonight is your night… A win or a loss will never make or break a person to me. When you know, you know. Fighters know.”
McGregor, sharing a similar vocal religious sentiment as Garcia lately, also added humorously:
“Now the real fight happens for the young man, too! Stay strong kid, believe in the Lord’s guidance, and keep it tight like frogs a*s in Versace lad hahaha yes!”
Referee Criticized After Garcia vs. Haney Fight
The boxing match between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney was marred by controversial officiating, leading to significant backlash from both professionals and fans.
The referee’s decision to deduct a point from Garcia for punching in the clinch—without prior warning—was seen as harsh, especially when similar actions by Haney were not penalized.
The point deduction was so critical that it nearly changed the outcome of the fight, with one judge scoring the bout a draw. Prominent sports commentator Stephen A. Smith expressed his frustration on X, saying:
“This referee is absolutely terrible. Ryan Garcia drops Haney. He’s hurt as hell, holding into Garcia for dear life, forcing Garcia to punch in the clinch. The ref pauses action to deduct point — no warning. Utter bullshit. Garcia drops Haney again twice — yet ref calls both a slip. Unreal! Horrible officiating.”
Other figures in the combat sports community also voiced their dissatisfaction, and further reactions can be found linked here.
Jamahal Hill Comments on UFC 300 Controversy
In his first public statement since the UFC 300 main event, Jamahal Hill addressed the controversy surrounding a supposed low blow by his opponent, Alex Pereira.
Referee Herb Dean granted Pereira a time-out, which Pereira declined, subsequently leading to a quick knockout. Hill reflected on the incident, emphasizing the importance of vigilance in the ring:
“I’m just going to say, just protect yourself at all times, you know… I just take it as a lesson learned and just go from it from there… I took no damage… I remember everything, I remember looking up seeing his legs, I remember him coming in… I was coherent the whole time.”
Watch Jamahal Hill’s comments starting from the 2:20 mark in the video link provided.
