On Saturday night, Ryan Garcia finally won his world title after a nearly 10-year journey since turning pro. He dominated Mario Barrios over 12 rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, on DAZN PPV.
The 27-year-old Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) from Victorville, CA, had earned regional titles as he advanced through different weight classes, but he never secured a world title. The fight in May against Rolando “Rolly” Romero was the closest he had come to vying for a world title, but Saturday night marked the biggest fight of his career, and he seized the moment by performing at his best.
There was a buzz in the air at the T-Mobile Arena as both Garcia and Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KOs) made their ringwalks on Saturday night. With the energy level radiating through the stream, there was still a sense of doubt, as the question on everyone’s mind was, ‘Which version of Garcia would we get tonight?’ It was the same question asked in May 2024 when Garcia faced Devin Haney at an electrifying Barclays Center in Brooklyn. And just like that night, the answer to the question came within seconds of the opening round.
On that May night, Garcia hit Haney with a left hook that buckled him, sending the arena into a frenzy almost instantly. Against Barrios, it was nearly the same, but this time it was the overhand right—something he rarely uses—and unlike Haney, Barrios actually went down from it in the initial shock. The crowd at the T-Mobile went wild as Barrios didn’t know what hit him, and if you think that’s an exaggeration, just look at his reaction when he got up. It was of a fighter who was caught off guard. That’s because everyone expected the left hook, but Garcia unexpectedly unleashed the overhand right immediately, catching everyone, including Barrios, by surprise.
Barrios would get up, but Garcia kept punishing him with the overhand right. Barrios kept anticipating the left hook, but knowing that, Garcia’s right hand kept finding a home. Although Barrios survived the round, it was a sneak peek of how the rest of the fight would play out. Garcia kept unleashing the right hand, and he did two things that he hadn’t done for quite some time: attack the body and use good head movement. As the rounds kept piling up for Garcia and Barrios began to anticipate the right hand, that’s when Garcia started throwing that devastating left hook. Credit to Barrios as he took all of Garcia’s best shots for the rest of the fight.
Right before the championship rounds, Garcia told his father, Henry, that he felt like he hurt his right hand—a hand he had operated on in 2025. His father advised Garcia to throw it only when necessary, and he did just that. Knowing he was well ahead on the scorecards, Garcia was active but less so than in previous rounds, since he had the fight in the bag by then. When the ring announcer read the judges’ scorecards, all three had Garcia winning nearly every round (119-108, 120-107 & 118-109). Garcia had finally won his first world title, and for a moment, it felt like his entire career flashed before his eyes as he soaked in the victory.
Shakur Stevenson: “Ryan Is A Little Late To The Party”
WBO and RING Magazine junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson, fresh off his dominant victory over Teofimo Lopez, remarked, “Ryan is a little late to the party,” during the post-fight discussion on DAZN. He’s not wrong: Garcia is 27, and his peer group, including Haney, Stevenson, Lopez, and others, has won multiple world titles since their amateur days. This is mostly because Garcia has outgrown weight classes on the verge of a title shot, but also because of personal issues like positive PED test results and losses to Gervonta Davis and Romero.
Although he is “late to the party,” Garcia remains one of the top names in the sport, and winning the title now boosts his reputation even more. The only thing he needs to do now is avoid distractions outside the ring and concentrate on what lies ahead—more big fights at major events.
Who’s Next For Ryan Garcia?
During the in-ring post-fight interview, Garcia was asked who his next opponent would be, and he pointed directly at Stevenson. This continued into the post-fight press conference, where Stevenson approached Garcia to confirm if he truly wanted to face him next, and Garcia once again acknowledged it. The issue is that Stevenson prefers to fight at a catchweight of 144 pounds. I’m not sure Garcia can safely make 144, as he weighed that against Haney and appeared a bit sluggish toward the end of the fight. Garcia is the bigger name and the main draw, so if he’s smart, he’d make Stevenson come up to 147 for that fight or wait until Stevenson moves up and gets accustomed to the weight before they have that fight.
What makes more sense and represents an even bigger fight is against Conor Benn in the U.K. Benn recently signed with Zuffa Boxing for “one fight at eight figures,” according to S.I.’s Chris Mannix. With Zuffa Boxing working alongside RING and SELA, there could only be one fight that would be worth that much for Benn, and that’s Garcia. After the fight, Benn tweeted, “Congratulations champ – See you later this year. Make sure you keep my belt warm @RyanGarcia.” That indicates there’s probably a verbal agreement for Garcia to face Benn, which would be a huge fight in the U.K. I’ve heard from U.K. media that Benn needs a major dance partner to sell big there, and it doesn’t get any bigger than Garcia. Could we see Garcia vs. Benn on Netflix?
Whether it’s Stevenson or Benn, Garcia will be in a major fight later this year, which is good for boxing. At a time when boxing needs fighters to boost its appeal among casual fans, Garcia’s championship moment arrives at just the right time. The big question is whether Garcia can stay on track, and where he stands by year’s end will likely be the most-talked-about story.
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