Ryan Garcia came out as a master manipulator after he defeated Devin Haney during their fight in April. Having presented erratic and unstable behavior in the lead-up to the fight, he had everyone convinced that he was mentally ill to draw more eyes to his fight in New York. While his win was eventually overturned, actor and mixed martial artist Michael Jai White has shared an interesting perspective on Garcia’s mindset. 

It’s worth noting that after Garcia’s win over Haney, a banned substance, Ostarine, was found in his system in multiple tests conducted by VADA. It then led the New York State Athletic Commission to suspend Garcia from boxing for a year, and the win was turned into a no-contest. Regardless, speaking to DJ Vlad, White compared Garcia to former Interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington. 

Speaking to White, the reporter probed White about his thoughts on Garcia’s antics online, while revealing Bill Haney, Devin’s father, had told DJ Vlad that Garcia’s behavior was all for a show to promote the fight in April. White responded, stating, “Well, we agree. I think… That’s been put on the menu as something that you can choose.”

White then brought up Colby Covington’s example, declaring, “Hey, Colby Covington, to be honest with you, wouldn’t even have a career anymore if he didn’t do that. I’m thoroughly convinced of it. Thoroughly convinced.” However, the question now is, what did Covington do to warrant a direct comparison with the ultimate troll in boxing?

How is Colby Covington similar to Ryan Garcia?

Back in October 2017, seeing the end of his UFC contract, Covington decided to take on the persona of a bad guy, possibly taking a cue from Conor McGregor. At that time, many fans viewed Covington as a boring fighter, and there was speculation that he might be on the verge of being cut from the UFC. In a surprising turnaround, the once mild-mannered athlete transformed himself into a relentless trash-talker after a win over Demian Maia in the UFC Fight Night 119.

The trick worked and his contract with the UFC was extended and he was given a shot at the Interim welterweight title in 2018 against Rafael dos Anjos. However, his bad guy person started to spill over when he won the title. This fouled his relationship with his training partner and friend Jorge Masvidal.

It initially began when Jorge Masvidal slammed Covington, after his interim title fight with Rafael dos Anjos, for refusing to pay Masvidal’s long-time striking coach, Paulino Hernandez, the dues that were agreed upon by the two parties. This sparked an intense feud between him and the rest of the American Top Team members like Dustin Poirier, Jorge Masvidal, and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

Meanwhile, Covington, continuing the encapsulate his role of a trash talker, refused to accept that he had done any wrong and continued calling Jorge Masvidal a “liar.” This feud started to bleed into their life outside the Octagon with both fighters trading insults over the next few years. Their rivalry escalated dramatically, eventually culminating in a highly anticipated showdown at UFC 272 in March 2022.

Covington ultimately won their fight by decision, but Masvidal wasn’t finished with their manufactured rivalry. Later that month, he attacked Covington outside a restaurant in Miami, leading to Masvidal pleading no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge related to the incident. This feud not only brought significant attention to the UFC, it also translated well into the profits the two made owing to the hype generated from it.

The similarities between Ryan Garcia and Colby Covington are evident from their changing their personalities to hype up their fights and make the most amount of money. At least, that’s what Michael Jai White believes. However, the question is—how ethical is it? Do you think Covington and Garcia have similar traits?