“I will go to MMA to prove a point that God is greatest, and I’ll beat whoever in MMA that they say I won’t beat.” That’s what Ryan Garcia said in 2021. However, he now wants no part in that. But what could have been the reason behind that? As it seems, it had something to do with the Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira fight.

‘King Ry’ was all eyes and ears as Holloway fought Oliveira at UFC 326. With the BMF title at stake, the bout was expected to be exciting. But Oliveira’s grappling-heavy performance to secure the unanimous decision didn’t bode well for many, including Garcia. To that end, the reigning WBC welterweight champion has closed the doors on a potential MMA move in the future.

Garcia iterates stance on MMA transition

“And no, I wouldn’t want to do MMA,” wrote Ryan Garcia on X. “Some dude breathing down my neck on top of me for 25 min that don’t want to actually fight. I’m cool, you will never see me in the octagon. I’m sorry.”

Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway both boast different fighting styles, and that was quite evident when Oliveira’s grappling neutralized Holloway’s prowess. As such, the Brazilian had a control time of more than 20 minutes in their 25-minute fight.

Garcia, who is a boxer, yearns for striking exchanges even in an MMA fight. But not being able to see any of that, and instead witnessing how grappling can be overwhelming in MMA, changed his perspective towards the sport.

But in MMA, such one-sided dominant bouts aren’t new. Take the example of Khamzat Chimaev‘s performance against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. In that bout, the United Center in Chicago saw Chimaev controlling du Plessis on the ground for 21 minutes and 40 seconds to win the middleweight championship.

However, there is still a difference between the two fights. Holloway and Oliveira fought for the symbolic UFC ‘BMF’ championship. And interestingly, from the fans’ perspective, this was created to feature only striking-heavy bouts.

However, that was evidently absent from the UFC 326 bout, which the WBC welterweight champion took notice of. To that end, he even made a suggestion regarding the rules around BMF title fights.

‘King Ry’ calls for action regarding BMF title after Holloway vs. Oliveira fight

Since the pre-fight build-up of UFC 326, there have been several calls for changes in the BMF title fight rules. Among the many, Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, wanted such unique bouts to allow fighters to compete in their natural weight. While that was one perspective regarding the BMF title fight, Ryan Garcia calls for the same to be scrapped.

“Last thing I’ll say on this if I was Dana White,” wrote Garcia on X. “I’d get rid of the BMF title, no need for it anymore. I don’t even really understand jt and feels like some random weird thing in the UFC.”

Many believe the title has served its purpose of being part of highly striking-heavy contests like Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, and Dustin Poirier vs. Gaethje at UFC 291, among others. Maybe Garcia also feels the same. But after winning the BMF title from Holloway, Charles Oliveira wants to continue defending the belt.

And as his next opponent, the Brazilian is also considering a bout against Conor McGregor. But then again, amid this scrutiny from people like Garcia regarding the belt, it will be interesting to see how UFC takes this forward.

On that note, who do you think Oliveira will fight in the next BMF title fight? Let us know in the comments below!