Ryan Garcia Becomes WBC Welterweight Champion After Unanimous Decision Over Mario Barrios

ryan garcia claimed the WBC welterweight title with a dominant unanimous decision over Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, a victory that crystallizes a long, stop‑start run back to the top of the division. The result matters now because it ends a spell of inactivity, a ban and a high‑profile loss, and positions Garcia to press for bigger championship matchups.

Ryan Garcia knocks down Mario Barrios inside 30 seconds

Garcia, 27, set the tone immediately, dropping fellow American Mario Barrios with a right hand inside the first 30 seconds of round one at T‑Mobile Arena. That early knockdown helped Garcia dictate the tempo; he was in control over the full 12 rounds and left with unanimous judge cards of 119‑108, 120‑107 and 118‑109.

Scores, record and knockout history

The win improves Garcia’s professional ledger to 25 victories and two defeats and marks his first major world title. Of those 25 wins, he has finished 20 by knockout. Prior to this night Garcia was a former interim lightweight champion; this is his first time as a full world champion.

T‑Mobile Arena: post‑fight reaction and challengers in the room

In his post‑fight interview at T‑Mobile Arena, Garcia called out newly crowned WBO super‑lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, who was in attendance. Stevenson, 28, smiled, nodded and clapped as Garcia challenged him directly. When told Stevenson had said he was "levels above" him, Garcia replied that it would take significant punching power to get him off his feet and warned he would not hold back. Garcia also dedicated the victory to his father, who serves as his head coach, and physically handed the belt to him after the fight.

Disciplinary history, recent inactivity and the Romero loss

Garcia returns to championship status after a turbulent period. He served a one‑year ban in 2024 for failing a drugs test following the Devin Haney bout; that victory was overturned and recorded as a no contest. After the suspension he challenged Rolando "Rolly" Romero for the WBA (regular) welterweight title in May at Times Square and lost a decision. Garcia said he entered the Romero fight nursing a hand injury that required surgery afterward and kept him out of action for roughly nine months, leaving him with just one bout in the past 22 months before Saturday’s title fight.

Mario Barrios’ run as WBC champion and prior defences

Mario Barrios had been upgraded from interim to full WBC champion in June 2024 and went into this fight having retained the title twice draws. Those draws came against Abel Ramos and a high‑profile majority draw with Manny Pacquiao last summer; one account lists Pacquiao as 46 at the time and another lists him as 47. Barrios had been perceived as a champion with limited definitive wins heading into the bout.

Style, punch output concerns and historical CompuBox marks

Pre‑fight analysis had flagged a likelihood of a low‑output, long‑range contest between two tall welterweights who prefer to keep distance, use the jab and avoid constant inside exchanges. Historical punch data reinforced skepticism about action levels: Garcia’s previous 12‑round matches ranked among the lowest in CompuBox history, including a combined 490 punches in the Romero fight and 499 punches in the Haney fight. Observers noted Barrios is not a heavy puncher, that both men can be hurt and that Garcia’s power at 147 pounds had been an open question.

What makes this notable is how quickly Garcia’s early power demonstration translated into control over a 12‑round championship fight, despite the ring rust, a recent surgery and a year‑long ban that limited his activity.

Aftermath and potential challengers

Garcia described his performance as a kind of masterclass while acknowledging he had hoped for a stoppage and that he hurt his right hand during the fight. He also said he hurt Barrios multiple times and praised Barrios as a tough Mexican‑American warrior. Outside the ring, there are already implications for the welterweight landscape: Garcia’s public challenge to Shakur Stevenson and speculation that Conor Benn’s move to Zuffa could affect his WBC mandatory‑challenger status point to several possible next steps for the new champion.

For now, the immediate effect is clear: Ryan Garcia is the WBC welterweight champion, possession of the belt reflecting a decisive unanimous decision and a first major title to add to his resume.