Ryan Garcia claims Mario Barrios’ WBC championship in a dominant victory.

LAS VEGAS — Ryan Garcia has finally achieved the one goal that had previously eluded him throughout his professional career: a world championship.

Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) knocked down Mario Barrios with the first two punches he threw in the bout and comfortably secured a unanimous decision victory to become the new WBC welterweight champion. It was an impressive exhibition of speed and power from Garcia, who delivered what could be considered the most comprehensive performance of his career, dominating the scorecards with tallies of 119-108, 120-107, and 118-109.

Garcia showcased a different aspect of his skill set, heavily utilizing his right hand rather than his renowned left hook to overwhelm Barrios throughout the fight. He caught Barrios off guard from the outset, landing a pair of right hands that sent him to the canvas.

From that point on, Barrios struggled to anticipate the origin and timing of Garcia’s punches, as Garcia unleashed a diverse array of strikes to both the head and body. When Barrios expected a left hook, Garcia would respond with an overhand right, a jab, or a left hook to the body. The combination of variety and rapid speed forced Barrios into a defensive posture for much of the match, trailing Garcia around the ring and unable to execute his typical high volume of punches.

The only factor that may have prevented Barrios from being stopped was Garcia injuring his right hand during the contest. Nevertheless, it marked one of Garcia’s standout moments in his professional journey, fulfilling the high expectations set for him upon turning pro a decade ago.

Garcia, 27, was coming off a challenging couple of years, with a record of 1-2 and one no contest. Following his defeats to Gervonta Davis and Rolly Romero, Garcia’s career faced a significant setback when his majority decision victory over Devin Haney in 2024 was reversed due to a failed drug test, resulting in a year-long suspension.

Despite maintaining his star power, Garcia’s conduct both inside and outside the ring has been surrounded by controversy, including a June 2024 arrest for allegedly causing approximately $15,000 in damages to a Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills hotel room and a subsequent expulsion from the WBC a month later for repeatedly using racial slurs against Black individuals and making derogatory remarks about Muslims during a social media livestream.

Nonetheless, Garcia found himself in a position to contend for a world title once the WBC reinstated him, and he capitalized on the opportunity by easily outclassing Barrios. Although Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KOs) entered the fight as the champion, he had not won in his last two bouts, resulting in draws against Manny Pacquiao and Abel Ramos.

While those previous matches were competitive, the encounter with Garcia was not. Barrios was unable to match Garcia’s speed, volume of punches, or devise any strategy that would compel Garcia to alter his approach. Barrios brought in Joe Goossen, who had previously trained Garcia, but even with someone familiar with Garcia’s style providing guidance, Barrios could not elevate his performance to match that of his opponent.

Although Garcia eased off the pressure in the closing rounds, the outcome was never in question as he had his hand raised in victory.

After the fight, Garcia expressed his desire to face current WBO 140-pound champion Shakur Stevenson, which would represent one of the most significant bouts of the year.