Ryan Garcia just secured a major confidence boost from a bodybuilding legend. Before his redemption fight against Mario Barrios, seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath gave his stamp of approval, adding a surprising twist to the pre-fight narrative.

Recently, Phil Heath and Ryan Garcia met just days before his fight against Mario, and Heath was overall impressed with what Garcia has been doing.

"You know a lot of guys that have talent, but then, you know, they say hard work beats talent, but when talent works hard, it's freaking over," said Heath about Garcia on BeyondTheStageTv's Instagram.

Heath added, “That guy’s a champ. High intensity right now in camp, through the roof.” We are just hours away from the fight, and this is a significant opportunity for him, considering this is the third consecutive fight in which Garcia has planned to claim a belt.

The 27-year-old is looking to silence his critics through his performance against Mario. Promoter Eddie Hearn also weighed in, believing Garcia is focused despite the build-up to the fight.

“It has been quite quiet, really, the fight. I think that it is a very interesting match-up because you can’t really make out how focused Ryan is during the build-up, or what performance you are going to get,” said Eddie Hearn. But despite that, Hearn has warned Garcia.

Eddie Hearn's advice to Ryan Garcia

“He has talked about his problems during the Rolly Romero fight, but I think that Ryan Garcia is very good for the sport,” Hearn highlighted.

Ryan Garcia’s last fight against Romero ended in a loss after Romero knocked him down in round two, but he is looking to change that in their upcoming fight.

Hearn also expressed that Barrios, despite his 29-33 record, looks beatable. “Barrios has never really looked that impressive, but he is a good fighter, and he is capable of putting a good performance in, if you are not on your game,” he added.

His final verdict? A victory for Ryan Garcia. “I actually think it is a really good match-up. I think that Ryan Garcia wins,” added Hearn.

Given that, what's your verdict on the fight? Tell us in the comments and follow Bodybuilding Bros for all things fitness!

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi