What Happened to Ryan Garcia?

Ryan Garcia, known as 'King Ry,' rose to prominence in professional boxing with a formidable amateur record and a captivating fighting style. His career, however, has been marked by both impressive victories and significant personal and professional challenges. After turning professional in June 2016, Garcia quickly built an undefeated record, culminating in an interim WBC lightweight title win in January 2021.

However, shortly after this victory, Garcia announced a break from boxing to address his mental health, revealing struggles with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. He returned to the ring in 2022, but 2023 brought his first professional loss, a seventh-round knockout by Gervonta 'Tank' Davis in April.

The year 2024 proved to be particularly turbulent for Garcia. On April 20, he faced Devin Haney in a highly anticipated super lightweight bout. Despite knocking Haney down three times and winning by majority decision, Garcia missed weight by 3.2 pounds, making him ineligible for Haney's WBC title. The controversy deepened when, on May 1, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) informed all parties that Garcia had tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing substance Ostarine in samples collected both before and on the day of the fight. His B-samples later confirmed these findings. Consequently, in June 2024, the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) overturned Garcia's victory to a no-contest, issued a one-year suspension, a $10,000 fine, and ordered him to forfeit his $1.1 million purse.

Amidst the boxing controversies, Garcia also faced personal turmoil, including a divorce in January 2024 and his mother's breast cancer diagnosis. In March 2025, he publicly disclosed that he had struggled with drug and alcohol abuse throughout 2024, admitting he was 'surprised I'm here right now' and that he had been 'drinking every day, every single day, even the day of the [Haney] fight.' He was also expelled from the WBC in July 2024 for racially provocative remarks on social media, though this ban was lifted in November 2025.

Garcia made his return to the ring on May 2, 2025, but suffered a unanimous decision loss to Rolando Romero for the WBA welterweight title. However, he quickly sought redemption. After the WBC lifted his ban in November 2025, Garcia confirmed a fight against Mario Barrios for the WBC Welterweight title. Despite being fined $5,000 by the WBC in February 2026 for failing to submit a mandatory 14-day weight check video, Garcia went on to defeat Barrios by unanimous decision on February 21, 2026, claiming his first major world title.

As of May 3, 2026, Ryan Garcia is the reigning WBC Welterweight champion. He is actively pushing for his next fight, with a potential rematch against Devin Haney being targeted for September 5, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, though no formal confirmation has been made from Garcia's camp. He also recently offered public support to fellow boxer Adrien Broner regarding his struggles, highlighting his continued advocacy for mental health.