'I’ll go to MMA to prove a point': Ryan Garcia hints he could fight in the UFC after he retires from boxing at 26

Ryan Garcia has doubled down on his statement that he would retire from boxing at the age of 26, but said his fighting career could continue beyond that, with the boxing superstar eyeing a switch to mixed martial arts.

Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, WBC interim lightweight champ Garcia said he'd only return to competitive action against an opponent most people would expect him to lose to.

"You’ve seen in the past fighters who retired and came back," he said.

"This is what I will say. I still plan to retire at 26 – yet, if I am to return back to the ring, I will only battle people (who) people at that time say, 'There’s no way Ryan will beat him.' That’s the only way I’m coming back."

Garcia explained that he is in the business of proving people wrong, and he plans to continue that trend by capturing more boxing world titles in the remaining four years of his self-imposed career window.

But he also hinted that he could even switch sports and step into the octagon to take on the world's best in the UFC to prove his worth as one of the best pure fighters on the planet, regardless of ruleset.

He even said he'd prove himself against Conor McGregor, if necessary.

"You know what I’m willing to do? I haven’t really said this out loud. What I plan to do is – say, at 26, I’m done, retired, and boxing is all good, right? If they say, 'OK, you’ve beaten everyone in the ring,' right? (If) somebody goes, 'This ain’t real fighting. Real fighting is legs, choking, submissions, all that.' Guess what I’ll do? I’ll go prove to them that I’m the best fighter all-around in the world," he said.

"I’m talking about hands. I’m talking about wrestling. I’ll go to MMA to prove a point that God is greatest. And I’ll go beat whoever in MMA they say I won’t beat. If it has to be Conor McGregor (I fight), I will.

"And I’m not saying this to get money. I don’t care about money. I’m saying this because it’s just how I feel."