Ryan Garcia’s next fight is off.
The lightweight contender announced on Instagram that he is pulling out of his July 9 fight against Javier Fortuna. Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) did not list a specific reason for his withdrawal.
“At this time it is important to manage my health and wellbeing,” Garcia wrote in a post published on Saturday. “I have decided to take some time off to focus on becoming a stronger version of myself. I hope to be back soon and am looking forward to stepping back into the ring when I am my healthiest self.”
Garcia, 22, was scheduled to face Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs) in a defense of a minor WBC lightweight belt. Garcia’s announcement came less than two weeks after Golden Boy Promotions announced the July bout.
Garcia is coming off a knockout win over former title contender Luke Campbell in January. The win helped legitimize Garcia’s status as one of boxing’s rising stars.