Ryan Garcia lands early knockdown, dominates Mario Barrios to win WBC welterweight title in Las Vegas

Ryan Garcia is a world champion again. On Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, he defeated Mario Barrios by unanimous decision to win the WBC welterweight championship.

It is the first major world title of his career, and it comes at a time when many were still questioning his place in boxing’s elite. This was more than just another fight on the calendar. Garcia entered the ring with recent setbacks still fresh in memory and the pressure was real. While beating Barrios does not erase the past, it certainly does shift the conversation. For Barrios, it ends a run as champion after multiple defenses and for Garcia, it marks a clear return to the title picture.

Early knockdown set the tone in Las Vegas

The fight swung in Garcia’s favor almost immediately. In Round 1, he dropped Barrios with an overhand right that was described as a blistering punch that set the tone. From that point on, he stayed in control. Judges scored the bout 119-108, 120-107 and 118-109 for Garcia. The punch statistics reflected the same story. He out-landed Barrios 185-106 in total punches and 103-43 in power punches. It was officially his first win since 2023.

Garcia, now 25-2 with 20 knockouts, kept steady pressure throughout the night. The early knockdown forced Barrios to fight from behind. By the final bell, the outcome felt clear. The win also makes Garcia one of the younger champions at welterweight and puts him back in the mix for big fights at 147 pounds. With the WBC belt now his, his name will again be part of talks around major matchups in the division.The victory also comes after a complicated stretch in Garcia’s career.

In April 2024, he defeated Devin Haney by majority decision, but he failed to make weight and was not eligible to win the WBC junior welterweight title. That result was later overturned to a no-contest after a positive test for ostarine, which led to a one-year suspension. He also lost a decision to Rolando “Rolly” Romero last May in a bid for the WBA “regular” welterweight belt.Barrios entered the fight with a 29-3-2 record, including 18 knockouts, making the fourth defense of his title. He had previously won the WBC interim belt against Yordenis Ugas and defended it against Fabian Maidana before being elevated to full champion. He also fought to draws against Abel Ramos and Manny Pacquiao.