Ryan Garcia has a fight with Sean O'Malley, and the UFC should do what it did for James Toney and book it

Sean O'Malley and Ryan Garcia are cut from the same cloth. Both men are braggadocious, hyper-confident fighters who needle at their divisional rivals, boast stunning knockout power, and use social media as their primary means of public engagement. Perhaps it is why they do not see eye to eye.

'Sugar,' the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, have trash-talked each other over the outcome of a hypothetical boxing match. In response, 'King Ryan' made a recent appearance on The MMA Hour to express his intention to face O'Malley, but not in boxing. He feels it would be too easy. Instead, he wants an MMA fight.

It is almost unheard of for boxers in their prime, barring Claressa Shields, to show the willingness to step into the cage. Not Floyd Mayweather, not Tyson Fury. Just Claressa Shields and James Toney, and now, if he's serious, 'King Ryan.' And if he is serious, the UFC should book him to face O'Malley.

---

Sean O'Malley vs. Ryan Garcia in the UFC would finally make MMA the A-side and turn 'Sugar' into a superstar if he wins

This first scenario is conditional as it depends upon Sean O'Malley's ability to beat Marlon 'Chito' Vera at UFC 299 and, to a lesser extent, Ryan Garcia's chances of beating the undefeated Devin Haney, which are slim. However, the potential is there should things play out optimally.

That is, if O'Malley emerges from UFC 299 still the promotion's undisputed featherweight champion and if Garcia claims the WBC lightweight title from Haney. It would be a legitimate champion vs. champion crossover fight that hasn't taken place since Conor McGregor fought Floyd Mayweather.

For a reigning world champion boxer to step into the cage is virtually unheard of outside of, again, Claressa Shields. No other boxer who has dared step into the mixed martial arts world did so as an active champion. The promotional spin on the bout would be that MMA, and the UFC in particular, is the A-side, not boxing.

For years, boxing was a golden destination for MMA fighters, ever since McGregor's brief excursion to the squared circle. However, coaxing a world champion boxer into the octagon would lend to the UFC's narrative that it has overtaken boxing on the combat sports front.

What better way to do so than to have O'Malley, a UFC champion, beat Garcia, a (possible, but unlikely) boxing champion in MMA? It would put to rest the last legs of the MMA vs. boxing debate, for despite Garcia's claims that he would destroy O'Malley in an MMA bout, he almost certainly wouldn't.

The gap in technique would be astronomical, especially with how often Garcia drops his rear hand every time he commits to a power punch. It exposes his chin, and his use of boxing guards won't work in MMA due to the smaller gloves having gaps through which O'Malley can slip counters.

Given his existing defensive issues, he has little chance. Even greater boxers struggle. Shields, for example, who is far more accomplished than Garcia, has struggled to dominate even low-level opponents in MMA. There is little chance that Garcia, with even a full year of training, could contend with O'Malley.

A dominant O'Malley showcase against Garcia in MMA would silence any further talk about MMA vs. boxing. Furthermore, the amount of eyeballs it would draw to the bout would make 'Sugar' a superstar in the event of his expected win. A new McGregor, so to speak.

The only issue is, it would have to happen before 'Sugar' fights Merab Dvalishvili, as he may very well lose that bout. But if he wins it, it could make a subsequent crossover fight with Garcia even bigger.

---

Sean O'Malley vs. Ryan Garcia is also a decent backup plan if both men lose their next bouts

The manner in which Sean O'Malley and Ryan Garcia carry themselves does not lend to a scenario where both recover well from losses. In fact, neither man has responded well to their only career loss, respectively. 'Sugar' has dismissed his TKO loss to Marlon 'Chito' Vera as a fluke.

'King Ryan,' meanwhile blames his knockout loss to Gervonta Davis on a hydration clause in the contract, as well as other factors. Both men talk a big game, often in an extremely dismissive manner regarding their opponents' skills. Unfortunately, talking down one's opponent only works if one wins.

If one loses to someone whose skills they previously derided, it only makes one look worse. It's no secret that Garcia's star power has suffered greatly since his loss to 'Tank.' And it will diminish even more if he loses to Devin Haney, as that would put him on a losing streak.

Similarly, if O'Malley loses to Vera again, after regarding him as just tough and durable and claiming the first loss was a fluke, he will never hear the end of it. So what could be the backup plan to rebuild his star power? A winnable fight, a showcase, but one against a high-profile opponent.

There is no better choice than Garcia. He would be a limited opponent, a fish out of water with a stance ill-prepared for MMA, least of all with an extremely fast kicker like O'Malley. If 'Sugar' cannot be a dominant champion, then at least he can be a flashy superstar who puts on fun fights.

Furthermore, a win over Garcia could set up more MMA fights with boxers willing to make the jump, like 'Tank' who believes he would need minimal training to adapt to the sport due to his boxing skills and street-fighting experience. It could, given the right circumstances, turn O'Malley into a money fight.

Few fighters have any appeal for others without a belt. If things go accordingly, O'Malley could join that class.