Ryan Garcia says his next step is limited, and he pointed directly to Teofimo as the option in front of him at the moment.
“Well, I don’t have a lot of options,” Ryan said in a clip shared by Ring Magazine when asked about facing Teofimo next. “Devin Haney dodged me. Shakur just dodged me. So, I have one option. But for Teofimo to get to 147, it’s going to be tough for him. But he said he’s down.”
The comment immediately puts Teofimo in focus as Ryan looks to set up his next fight. The weight difference sits in the middle of it. Garcia works at 147, while Lopez competes in a lower division, which Ryan acknowledged as an obstacle to negotiations and timing.
For Garcia, this gives him his best chance to get a nice payday against a star in a winnable fight.
Teofimo is coming off a one-sided loss to Shakur Stevenson at 140 on January 31, 2026. He will need to move up to 147 if he wants to challenge Ryan for his WBC welterweight belt.
Ryan was also clear about how he views his position as title holder. He recently said that champions should stay active and not go long distances without fighting. “I’m the world champion now. I think the world champion has to fight regularly,” Garcia said during a separate stream appearance with N3on, confirming that he wants to return quickly and stay visible in the division.
That attitude aligns with his quest for a summer date. Garcia has indicated that he is ready to fight in July if the right opponent is secured, and the Teofimo option now presides in those comments. He also agreed with the suggestion that it was difficult to secure opponents, indicating a lack of available fights at the moment.
The situation leaves Ryan in a tight spot. He mentioned Teofimo, acknowledging the weight issue and linking it to his quest to stay active as a champion. Whether Lopez moves up or the talks move elsewhere, Ryan has made it clear that he doesn’t want to wait and wants the next fight done soon.
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Last updated on 2026/03/16 at 23:46
