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Ryan Garcia beats Mario Barrios by unanimous decision to win the WBC welterweight title
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Ryan Garcia beats Mario Barrios by unanimous decision to win the WBC welterweight title

#Ryan Garcia #Mario Barrios #WBC welterweight title #unanimous decision #Las Vegas #February 2026 #boxing

📌 Key Takeaways

  • Ryan Garcia won the WBC welterweight title by unanimous decision over Mario Barrios
  • Garcia dominated the fight with strategic right-handed combinations
  • The victory came after Garcia overcame personal and professional challenges
  • Garcia is targeting a future fight against WBO champion Shakur Stevenson

📖 Full Retelling

Ryan Garcia captured the WBC welterweight championship with a dominant unanimous decision over Mario Barrios in Las Vegas on Saturday night, February 22, 2026, showcasing his elite skills after years of personal and professional turmoil. The judges scored the fight 119-108, 120-107 and 118-109 in favor of Garcia (25-2, 20 knockouts) of Victorville, California, who demonstrated superior boxing intelligence and explosive power throughout the bout. Garcia wasted no time establishing his dominance, knocking down Barrios with an overhand right just 30 seconds into the fight before systematically breaking down the champion with strategic combinations, particularly relying on his powerful right hand which he had focused on during training camp. 'It feels good to finally be a world champion,' Garcia said, noting this victory fulfilled a dream he's had since childhood. The 27-year-old fighter has faced significant challenges in recent years, including a one-year suspension and $1 million fine for performance-enhancing drug use, expulsion from the WBC for racial slurs, and a previous loss to Rolando Romero, but this performance signaled a complete turnaround in his career.

🏷️ Themes

Boxing Championship, Career Comeback, Fight Strategy

📚 Related People & Topics

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Mario Barrios

Mexican-American boxer (born 1991)

Mario Thomas Barrios (born May 18, 1995) is a Mexican-American professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Regular version) super lightweight title from 2019 to 2021 and the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title from 2024 to 2026.

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Ryan Garcia

Ryan Garcia

American boxer (born 1998)

Ryan Garcia (born August 8, 1998) is an American professional boxer and social media influencer. He currently holds the WBC Welterweight Title. He has held the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title since early 2026.

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Deep Analysis

Why It Matters

Ryan Garcia's victory marks a significant career milestone, establishing him as a legitimate world champion after overcoming personal and professional challenges. The win solidifies his status as a top draw in boxing and sets up major future fights in the welterweight division.

Context & Background

  • Garcia was suspended for a year and fined for alleged PED use
  • He lost his previous fight against Rolando Romero
  • Barrios had an underwhelming majority draw with Manny Pacquiao in his last bout
  • Garcia switched back to his father as his trainer for this fight

What Happens Next

Garcia has already called out WBO champion Shakur Stevenson for a unification bout. The boxing world will await official matchmaking for Garcia's first title defense, which could be a major pay-per-view event.

Frequently Asked Questions

What were the official judges scores for the fight?

The judges scored the fight 119-108, 120-107, and 118-109 for Garcia.

Who did Ryan Garcia say he wants to fight next?

Garcia stated he wants to fight WBO super lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson next.

How many knockouts does Ryan Garcia have now?

Ryan Garcia now has a record of 25 wins with 20 knockouts.

Original Source
Ryan Garcia beats Mario Barrios by unanimous decision to win the WBC welterweight title Ryan Garcia won the WBC welterweight title with a dominant unanimous decision over Mario Barrios on Saturday night By MARK ANDERSON AP sports writer February 22, 2026, 1:18 AM LAS VEGAS -- Ryan Garcia is an immensely talented boxer who has gone through his share of personal and professional turmoil in his young career, but at some point, his skills figured to put him on top. That finally happened Saturday night in a clinic of a performance. Garcia dominated Mario Barrios to win by unanimous decision and capture the WBC welterweight championship. The judges scored the fight 119-108, 120-107 and 118-109 for Garcia (25-2, 20 knockouts) of Victorville, California. The Associated Press had it 119-109. “It feels good to finally be a world champion,” Garcia said. “It’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I was 7 years old.” Garcia already has begun to turn to his future, looking at WBO super lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and saying he wanted him next. This was the second underwhelming bout in a row for Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KOs) of San Antonio, who was fortunate to escape with a majority draw victory over Manny Pacquiao last July. In the co-main event, Gary Antuanne Russell (19-1, 17 KOs) of Capitol Heights, Maryland, retained his WBA super lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Japan’s Andy Hiraoka (24-1, 19 KOs). The judges scored the fight 117-110, 116-111 and 116-111. Hiraoka was penalized a point in the 10th round for delivering a punch below the belt that caused a short stoppage. Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) of New York was scheduled to defend his IBF super lightweight belt against Oscar Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KOs) of Mexico, but pulled out of the fight citing an illness. That bout was supposed to be the co-main event. There was no immediate word on whether Hitchins would forfeit his title for the late cancellation. Garcia, a -250 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook, ...
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Source

abcnews.com

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