Ryan Garcia Claims WBC Welterweight Title Over Barrios

On Saturday, Ryan Garcia secured his first major title by defeating Mario Barrios to become the new WBC welterweight champion at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 27-year-old American knocked down Barrios with a right hand within the first 30 seconds of the opening round.

Garcia, a former interim lightweight champion, maintained control throughout the 12-round match, winning by unanimous decision with scores of 119-108, 120-107, and 118-109. In a post-fight interview, Garcia expressed his desire to face newly crowned WBO super lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, who was present at the event and showed support.

Garcia stated he is not afraid of Stevenson and believes their differing styles would make for an exciting match. Despite a previous failed drug test in 2024, which overturned a victory against Hanei to a no contest, Garcia improved his record to 25 wins and 2 losses with this victory.

Barrios had previously upgraded from interim to full WBC champion in June 2024 and had two successful defenses, including a major draw against Manny Pacquiao last summer.