"This is literally illegal" - Fans react to Ryan Garcia reportedly cashing out $12M after betting on himself to beat Devin Haney

Ryan Garcia reportedly bet a significant amount of money on himself to beat Devin Haney in their boxing match, and he's believed to have received a $12 million bet payout after winning the fight. Fans soon chimed in with their takes regarding the same.

While WBC super lightweight champion Haney hit the 140-pound weight limit at the fight weigh-ins, Garcia came in at 143.2 pounds. During their pre-fight press conference, the two pugilists agreed to a bet that 'KingRy' would pay Haney $500k per pound if he missed weight.

Since 'KingRy' came in 3.2 pounds above the weight limit, he ended up paying about $1.5 million to Haney. Regardless, on fight night, Garcia put on an outstanding performance, scoring three knockdowns, and defeating 'The Dream' via majority decision.

In a subsequent tweet by the "@MMA_CASUALS_" X handle, it was suggested that Garcia reportedly placed a $2 million bet on himself to defeat Haney and has resultantly secured $12 million.

Some fans condemned Ryan Garcia's supposed bet. Multiple X users insinuated that it's probably illegal for fighters to bet on themselves in professional combat sports contests.

"This is literally illegal"

On the contrary, Garcia received support from some quarters of the fight world, as a number of fans lauded him for his confidence to bet on himself in such as high-stakes match. A fan alluded to the much-discussed eccentricity 'KingRy' displayed leading up to the matchup and labeled it a genius move.

Moreover, a netizen pointed out the sheer magnitude of Garcia's purported bet and financial return:

"What a way to rack up"

Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:

Screenshots of reactions

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Ryan Garcia's reported bet reignites debate on legality of boxers betting on themselves

An ESPN report, regarding Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s attempted bet in 2017, indicated that the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada State Athletic Commission lacked specific regulations to prohibit a boxer from betting on themselves.

Alluding to that, and other examples, some fans have seemingly opined that Ryan Garcia was within his rights to bet on himself. Nevertheless, the Haney-Garcia fight took place in New York and not Nevada. It remains to be seen whether the geographic legal differential might lead to potential repercussions for 'KingRy' in NY.

Irrespective of the legal ambiguity surrounding boxers betting on themselves in the US, the fact remains that Ryan Garcia is fresh off a major win that'll further his status as one of boxing's biggest stars today.

Meanwhile, Haney, who's still the WBC super lightweight champion, has called for a rematch against Garcia. Presently, their respective next fights haven't been officially announced.