Ryan Garcia confirmed rumors that he wagered $2 million on himself to beat Devin Haney before their fight, resulting in a $12 million payout after his victory.
Garcia, 25, entered the fight as an underdog against the unbeaten WBC super lightweight champion, Haney, who was heavily favored at -910 odds. Despite this, Garcia secured a 55/45 purse split in his favor.
The combination of the favorable purse split and his successful bet made the fight the biggest payday of Garcia’s career, estimated to be around $50 million. This surpasses his previous earnings of $30 million from his defeat to Gervonta Davis last year.
In a social media post, Garcia acknowledged the bet and expressed his gratitude for his financial gains. He also mentioned that he forfeited $600,000 from his purse for missing the 140-pound weight limit and paid an additional $1.5 million to Haney as a penalty for being overweight.
Despite his pre-fight promise to knock out Haney, Garcia settled for a decisive decision win after dropping his opponent three times. He also criticized referee Harvey Dock for preventing him from securing an earlier stoppage.
