Ryan Garcia will fight Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title on 21 February in Las Vegas.
Garcia, who is 27, has not won a fight since December 2023. He lost to Rolando Romero in May and was later banned for a year after failing a drugs test in 2024. Although Garcia beat Devin Haney last year, that result was cancelled and ruled a no contest because of the failed test.
Despite this, Garcia is confident and says he believes he will become world champion on fight night.
His opponent, Mario Barrios, is 30 and the current WBC welterweight champion. Barrios says this is his weight class and his moment, and that he plans to keep hold of the title.
Barrios became the full WBC champion in June 2024 after previously holding the interim belt. He has defended his title twice, both times ending in draws. One of those was against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who is 46, in July.
Barrios has won 29 of his 33 fights, with 18 wins coming by knockout. He said winning the world title meant a lot to him and was a reward for years of hard work, adding that he carries his hometown of San Antonio with him into every fight.
Garcia has won 20 of his 24 fights by knockout. His bout with Haney was meant to be for a world title, but he missed the weight limit and could not win the belt.
The WBC has confirmed that British boxer Conor Benn is now the number one contender at welterweight. He could face the winner of Garcia vs Barrios next. Benn has said he will be watching the fight closely and believes he can bring the world title back to Britain.
