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Andreas Hale
Multiple Authors
Ryan Garcia achieved his inaugural major world title by securing the WBC welterweight championship through a unanimous decision win against Mario Barrios on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Garcia knocked down Barrios in the first round with an overhand right and maintained control throughout the match, with scorecards reading 119-108, 120-107, and 118-109.
Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) had earlier claimed the WBC interim lightweight title in 2021 by defeating Luke Campbell. He appeared to achieve a significant career milestone in April 2024 with a majority decision victory over Devin Haney—though he was ineligible for the WBC junior welterweight title due to weight issues. This win was later invalidated to a no-contest after he tested positive for a prohibited substance. He also faced a setback when he lost a decision to Rolando “Rolly” Romero in his attempt for the WBA “regular” welterweight title last May.
Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KOs) was defending his title for the fourth time. He clinched the WBC interim title with a win over Yordenis Ugas in 2023 and successfully defended it against Fabian Maidana in May 2024, later being elevated to full champion when Terence Crawford was declared champion in recess by the WBC. Barrios recently fought to two consecutive draws in title defenses against Abel Ramos in November 2024 and Manny Pacquiao last July.
Experience all the excitement from Las Vegas, including results from the undercard and round-by-round insights.
