BUZZ Foster fires back at Garcia: Ford was a world champion, 'what was Benn other than a big name?'

The sharpest part of this exchange is that Ryan Garcia never attacked Foster's win. He praised it. What O'Shaquie Foster pushed back on was the way Garcia rated the other side of the comparison, and he did it in public.

Garcia, who is campaigning for 2026 Fighter of the Year, replied to broadcaster Dan Canobbio on Oct. 25. He called Raymond Ford 'not a standout fighter' and added that Emanuel Navarrete is good and that he gave Foster credit. Foster answered on X the next day. He argued that Ford had been a world champion, asked what Conor Benn was beyond a big name, and said Ford is better skill for skill. His closing line: "Neither one of your wins compare to mines dude!!"

About a minute later he stepped back. Foster said he would not argue over who deserves the award and would let fans and media decide, adding that the work would speak for itself. None of this is a ranking or an awards-panel finding. These are two fighters' own assessments of each other's resumes.

Foster has a strong case to make. On Oct. 24 in San Antonio he beat Navarrete by unanimous decision to take the WBC, WBO and IBF super featherweight titles, with scores of 118-108 twice and 115-111 and two knockdowns in the twelfth round. Garcia's year includes a second-round stoppage of Benn in Las Vegas, and his February win over Mario Barrios brought him the welterweight championship.

Both fighters have business ahead that matters more than the argument. Foster has named undisputed status as his remaining goal and has been linked with the WBA title. Garcia is targeting a Feb. 6 fight with Lopez, though nothing is signed. The Fighter of the Year vote will be decided long after those fights, so expect the argument to continue until then.