Ryan Garcia beats Mario Barrios by unanimous decision to win the WBC welterweight title

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ryan Garcia is an immensely talented boxer who has gone through his share of personal and professional turmoil in his young career, but at some point, his skills figured to put him on top.

That finally happened Saturday night in a clinic of a performance.

Garcia dominated Mario Barrios to win by unanimous decision and capture the WBC welterweight championship. The judges scored the fight 119-108, 120-107 and 118-109 for Garcia (25-2, 20 knockouts) of Victorville, California. The Associated Press had it 119-109.

“It feels good to finally be a world champion,” Garcia said. “It’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I was 7 years old.”

Garcia already has begun to turn to his future, looking at WBO super lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and saying he wanted him next.

This was the second underwhelming bout in a row for Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KOs) of San Antonio, who was fortunate to escape with a majority draw victory over Manny Pacquiao last July.

In the co-main event, Gary Antuanne Russell (19-1, 17 KOs) of Capitol Heights, Maryland, retained his WBA super lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Japan’s Andy Hiraoka (24-1, 19 KOs). The judges scored the fight 117-110, 116-111 and 116-111. Hiraoka was penalized a point in the 10th round for delivering a punch below the belt that caused a short stoppage.

Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) of New York was scheduled to defend his IBF super lightweight belt against Oscar Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KOs) of Mexico, but pulled out of the fight citing an illness. That bout was supposed to be the co-main event. There was no immediate word on whether Hitchins would forfeit his title for the late cancellation.

Garcia, a -250 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook, went to work right away, knocking down Barrios with an overhand right just 30 seconds into the bout. He didn’t recklessly try to finish off Barrios, however, patiently using combination to the champion’s head. One such combo late in the third round briefly staggered Barrios.

“I was caught early with a punch I didn’t see,” Barrios said. “Other than that, he had the better game plan. He fought very smart, very explosive, very intelligent. It was his night.”

As Garcia kept picking his spots, the 30-year-old Barrios had no real answers to counter the attack. Barrios occasionally landed a right, but nothing seemed to slow down Garcia, who relied heavily on his right hand.

“I was working on my right hand pretty much the whole camp,” Garcia said. “I literally didn’t throw left hooks because I knew they were going to be preparing for the left hook. So it was common sense to kind of just keep firing that right hand.”

Perhaps sensing his opponent might be in trouble, Garcia went hard after Barrios in the fifth round, attacking him from the opening bell. He delivered multiple shots to Barrios’ head, but unlike that first-round knockdown, nothing sent him to the canvass. There was little doubt, though, which fighter was in charge.

Garcia even looked over at Barrios’ corner in the 10th round, and the new champ acknowledged after the fight that he kept glancing at his former trainer, Joe Goossen.

Henry Garcia, the fighter’s dad, returned as his trainer after Garcia worked under some others.

“I’m dedicated this fight to my father,” Garcia said. “That was the beginning of this journey. My dad’s been there since I was 7 years old.”

Likely knowing he was well ahead on the scorecards, Garcia was more conservative over the final rounds. The largely pro-Garcia crowd went to its feet over the final 30 seconds to cheer on their favorite boxer.

This has been quite a three-year stretch for Garcia, suspended for a year and fined $1 million by the New York State Athletic Commission for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs in a win over Devin Haney. The WBC also expelled Garcia for a few months for using racial and ethnic slurs, and he also had his share of legal issues.

Beyond that, the 27-year-old Garcia also needed to bounce back from his most recent fight, a unanimous-decision loss to Rolando Romero in New York’s Times Square.

“I made a lot of mistakes, but I made a 360 turn,” Garcia said. “I committed myself to be the best champion I could be.”

AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing

Mario Barrios arrives to fight in a WBC welterweight title boxing match against Ryan Garcia Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)

Ryan Garcia celebrates after winning in a WBC welterweight title boxing match against Mario Barrios Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)

Ryan Garcia celebrates after winning in a WBC welterweight title boxing match against Mario Barrios Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)

Ryan Garcia, right, fights Mario Barrios in a WBC welterweight title boxing match Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)

Ryan Garcia, right, fights Mario Barrios in a WBC welterweight title boxing match Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)

Gary Antuanne Russell celebrates after winning in a WBA super lightweight title boxing match against Andy Hiraoka Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)

FILE - Mario Barrios works out ahead of his WBC welterweight world title bout against Abel Ramos during the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul undercard, Nov. 12, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

FILE - Ryan Garcia is announced before a super lightweight boxing match against Devin Haney, April 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) — Rondale Moore, the NFL receiver who had season-ending training camp knee injuries in each of the last two years after a standout college career at Purdue and a promising start with the Arizona Cardinals, was found dead Saturday, authorities said. He was 25.

Police said Moore died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. Moore was found dead in the garage of a property in his hometown of New Albany, police chief Todd Bailey said. The death remains under investigation.

Floyd County Coroner Matthew Tomlin also confirmed Moore’s death. He said an autopsy would be conducted on Sunday.

After being traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, Moore dislocated his right knee during training camp and never played for them. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, but he blew out his left knee while returning a punt in their first exhibition game and spent another full season on injured reserve. Moore was so distraught after immediately realizing the seriousness of that injury that he slammed his hand down on a cart so hard the sound was audible throughout the stadium.

The Vikings said they had spoken with Moore's family to offer condolences and support.

“I am devastated by the news of Rondale’s death. While Rondale had been a member of the Vikings for a short time, he was someone we came to know well and care about deeply," coach Kevin O'Connell said in a statement distributed by the team. “He was a humble, soft-spoken, and respectful young man who was proud of his Indiana roots. As a player, he was disciplined, dedicated and resilient despite facing adversity multiple times as injuries sidelined him throughout his career. We are all heartbroken by the fact he won’t continue to live out his NFL dream and we won’t all have a chance to watch him flourish.”

In a statement, the Cardinals said they were “devastated and heartbroken.”

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, teammates, and everyone who loved him and had the privilege of knowing such a special person,” the team said in a social media post.

Moore grew up in New Albany, just across the Indiana border from Louisville, Kentucky, and was a first team All-American as a freshman at Purdue in 2018.

“Rondale Moore was a complete joy to coach. The ultimate competitor who wouldn’t back down from any challenge. Rondale had a work ethic unmatched by anyone. A great teammate that would come through in any situation. We all loved Rondale; we loved his smile and his competitive edge that always wanted to please everyone he came in contact," Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said on social media. Brohm was the coach at Purdue when Moore played there.

Drafted in the second round by the Cardinals in 2021, Moore had 1,201 receiving yards and three touchdowns plus 249 rushing yards and one score over three seasons. He served as their primary returner for kickoffs and punts as a rookie before injuries pushed him away from that role.

“Can’t even begin to fathom or process this," former Cardinals teammate J.J. Watt said on social media. “There’s just no way. Way too soon. Way too special. So much left to give. Rest in peace Rondale.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

FILE - This is a 2025 photo of Rondale Moore of the Minnesota Vikings NFL football team. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore (4) warms-up before the NFL game between Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)