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Ryan Garcia and Javier Fortuna are set to face each other in the ring on July 16 in a 135-pound clash live on DAZN.
The athletes were expected to meet in the ring last year, but 'KingRy' chose to withdraw to focus on his mental health. The California-based competitor then matched up against Joseph Diaz Jr. for November 2021.
The lightweight contest was then canceled due to Garcia being forced to pull out after sustaining a wrist injury that demanded surgery.
With the 23-year-old's next fight quickly approaching, his opponent has not held back on his words before the pair meet. During a live Q&A on his Instagram, Garcia was asked how many rounds it would take for him to defeat Fortuna, to which he responded:
"How many rounds for Saturday? If I could make an honest prediction, there are many outcomes that could happen in this fight. Personally, there's a high chance that this man [Fortuna] gets knocked out. If you're looking for an exciting punch that could blow you away, watch the fight on Saturday."
Garcia then added:
"There's just two options for him to end up at. He can either end up on his face or on his back. Those are the only two options so I'll be looking forward to it. He said he's going to rip my heart out and split my face so I definitely can't go in there taking him lightly."
If Ryan Garcia vs. Javier Fortuna can live up to the words that have been said by both men, the clash will be a blockbuster. The American certainly has a tough task ahead of him who will provide challenges that the younger man has not yet faced.
If 'KingRy' can surpass his next challenge, he can continue to seek his ambitions of challenging for a lightweight crown.
Watch Garcia's full interview here:
What's Ryan Garcia's knockout history?
Although Garcia isn't known for being a knockout artist, he holds emphatic hand speed that leads to knockouts. The American's speedy punches allow him to land precise and accurate shots that his opponents don't see coming.
'KingRy' currently holds a record of 22-0 with 18 victories coming before the final bell. This gives him an impressive knockout rate of 81.82%.
In Garcia's first three contests, which took place in Mexico, he earned himself a first-round knockout every time. His most impressive stoppage victory arguably came against former British Olympian Luke Campbell in 2021.
Some of Ryan Garcia's other knockouts include Francisco Fonseca, Romero Duno and Jose Lopez.
Watch Campbell vs. Garcia here:
