Coming up short has done wonders for the career of Isaac Cruz.

Thrown into the fire on relatively short notice, Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) gave Gervonta Davis all he could handle during their December of 2021 battle. Though he was ultimately unable to get the job done, due to his ability to remain upright and have moments of success, Cruz has seen his stock soar. But while most are now of the belief that the Mexican native is an elite lightweight, Ryan Garcia couldn't quite understand why he was viewed so glowingly.

Just a few short months ago, Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) was asked to give his thoughts on the 24-year-old. Without hesitation, the California product labeled Cruz as a C-class fighter, something Cruz took great offense to.

Their budding rivalry aside, Garcia was given the opportunity to prove that he was now the man to beat. This past weekend, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, both Davis and Garcia officially squared off at a catchweight of 136 pounds. Garcia’s success, unlike Cruz, was minimal. After a solid opening frame, Garcia was floored in the second round. Although he did somewhat gather his wits in the ensuing rounds, Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) finished off his bombastic foe in the seventh with a well-placed body shot.

As Garcia looked up in agony, Cruz found his pain hilarious. With the loquacious contender unable to beat the final 10 count, Cruz circled back to Garcia’s original claims surrounding his overall skills.

“If I am a C level fighter, then what class are you? Z?” Questioned Cruz on his social media account.

Shots fired aside, Garcia will now head back to the drawing board. His setback, though on a grand stage, has officially pushed him toward the 140-pound division. While an immediate opponent will be revealed at a later date, Garcia confessed that he plans on challenging himself against the best super lightweights in the world.