The Ring

Ryan Garcia will return to the ring nine months after his loss to Rolando “Rolly” Romero in May 2025, and he will do so in a world championship fight against Mario Barrios, the current World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion. The 12-round bout will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Feb. 21.

Turki Alalshikh, president of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, confirmed the matchup. The event will be called “The Ring: High Stakes” and broadcast by DAZN pay-per-view.

Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) won the WBC welterweight world championship in September 2023 and has defended the title twice, both times in fights that went the full 12 rounds. In November 2024, he fought to a split draw against Abel Ramos, and in July 2025, he recorded a majority draw against legendary former world champion Manny Pacquiao.

“This is my division, my moment and I’m ready to show the world why the WBC title is staying here,” Barrios said in a statement.

Barrios, who has faced Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Keith Thurman, was also world champion in the super lightweight division, where he won the World Boxing Assn. (WBA) title in 2019. Before his draws against Pacquiao and Ramos, he defeated Argentina’s Fabián Maidana and Cuba’s Yordenis Ugás, a fight in which he won the vacant WBC title.

For his part, García (27-1, 19 KOs) returns after losing to Romero in a fight in which he did not appear to enter the ring in optimal condition. During that fight, the Victorville native was knocked down in the second round and ended up losing by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. Garcia came into that fight with physical problems, suffered an injury during training camp and underwent surgery on his right hand after the fight, which kept him out of the ring for months.

“I will be world champion on February 21,” Garcia said in a statement.

Mario Barrios punches Manny Pacquiao during a July bout in Las Vegas. Barrios will next face off with Ryan Garcia.

(John Locher / Associated Press)

García’s return comes after a turbulent period in his career. In 2024, he defeated Devin Haney by decision in the super lightweight division, although he weighed in 3.25 pounds overweight, making him ineligible to compete for Haney’s title. He subsequently tested positive for the banned substance ostarine, which resulted in the fight being declared a “no contest,” as well as a lawsuit from Haney and a one-year suspension.

Now, Garcia will seek redemption in a new division against an established champion, while Barrios will attempt to reaffirm his dominance at welterweight against high-profile opponent.

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.