Ryan Garcia will return to the ring on Dec. 30 in an exhibition bout against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in Tokyo, despite currently serving a suspension due to a failed test for performance-enhancing drugs.
Garcia, 26, in June was issued a one-year retroactive suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission after testing positive for the PED ostarine ahead of his April fight with junior welterweight titleholder Devin Haney.
The Garcia-Anpo exhibition will be contested under full boxing rules at a 153lbs catchweight over eight two-minute rounds. It will mark Garcia’s first action since the Haney bout, which was changed to a no-contest after initially being ruled a majority decision win.
Garcia, 24-1 (20 KOs), of Victorville, California, dropped Haney three times in the upset decision, but even before the commission ruling he was ineligible to win Haney’s title after showing up to the weigh-in more than three pounds overweight.
“I’m looking forward to knocking Anpo out for disrespecting Manny Pacquiao,” Garcia said, referencing Anpo’s July exhibition against Pacquiao. “I’ll teach him a lesson in respect.”
Anpo, 28, is a former kickboxing world champion from Himeji, Japan, known as “Demolition Man.” He has earned accolades such as Fight of the Year and KO of the Year and debuted with RIZIN in 2023.
“I surpass Ryan in size, speed, and power,” Anpo said. “If he treats this like a party, I’ll give him a beatdown and show America who the real bad boy is.”