Arnold Barboza is the first to admit that Saturday night's performance wasn't what he expected.
32 years I'm from Southern California and I've had a hard time. Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia wins an 18-1 split decision over Sean McComb in the DAZN pay-per-view main event. McComb won with final scores of 97-93, 96-94, and 92-98.
But Barboza, now 30-0, believes the right people helped him win.
The 32-year-old has unsuccessfully challenged some of the top fighters in the super lightweight division over the past few years. He has always been considered high risk, low return, but the hope is that this performance will prompt the division's elite to take on him.
“Yes, it was definitely a close fight and I give credit to Sean McComb, but I hope this gives me a chance. I'll come back even stronger,” Barboza told BoxingScene.
At the top of Barboza's wish list is Garcia, who shocked most of the boxing world with a dominant victory over Haney in the main event. Garcia entered the fight as an 8-1 underdog, dropping Haney three times en route to winning by majority decision.
“He had a great performance. Hats off to Ryan and if the fight happens, I'm looking forward to it,” Barboza added. “After a little rest, we need to sit down and talk to the team and see what happens next.”
The bout was Barboza's second bout under his recent promotional deal with Golden Boy Promotions.
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