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)

HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number of forces pulled out of Europe.

The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump's initial order set off a flurry of action among military commanders and left allies already doubtful about America's commitment to Europe's security to ponder what forces they might have to backfill on NATO's eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officials confirmed about 4,000 service members were no longer rotating into Poland from Germany. The dispatch to Germany of U.S. personnel trained to fire long-range missiles was also halted.

But in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he would now send "an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” citing his strong ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump endorsed in elections last year.

“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters Friday at a meeting she was hosting of her NATO counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Ministers from the Netherlands and Norway were sanguine about Trump’s latest move, as was Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who said allies knew the U.S. troop “posture was being reconsidered, and now there is no change of posture. For now.”

U.S. defense officials also expressed confusion. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” said one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

But Rubio said Washington’s allies understand that changes in the U.S. troop presence in Europe will come as the Trump administration reevaluates its force needs. “I think there’s a broad recognition that there are going to be eventually less U.S. troops in Europe than there has historically been for a variety of reasons,” he said.

The latest surprise came despite a U.S. pledge to coordinate troop deployments, including one from NATO’s top military officer, U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, on Wednesday.

Trump's initial announcement that he would withdraw troops came as he fumed over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in that war.

Trump told reporters that the U.S. would be cutting even more than 5,000 and also announced new tariffs on European cars. Germany is the continent’s biggest auto producer.

Rubio insisted that Trump’s decision “is not a punitive thing. It’s just something that’s ongoing.”

About 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. The Pentagon is required to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment on the continent unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests.

The withdrawal of 5,000 troops might drop numbers below that limit.

But Trump's latest post suggests that troop numbers in Europe would not change. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed the decision to send more forces to his country, saying it ensures that “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also welcomed the move. On Thursday, before Trump took to Truth Social again, Rutte had underlined that it was important for Europe to take care of its own security. “We have a process in place. This is normal business,” he told reporters.

At NATO headquarters in Brussels, meanwhile, U.S. officials briefed the allies on the Pentagon's aims for its commitments to the NATO Force Model, which involves contingency planning for Europe’s defense in the event of serious security concerns. It was widely expected that a further reduction of U.S. forces would be coming.

Asked whether any cuts were announced, Rutte said: “I’m afraid it’s much more complicated than that.” He said the procedure “is highly classified” and declined to give details.

Rubio played down concerns about a shift in U.S. force levels in Europe, saying: "Every country has to constantly reevaluate what their needs are, what their commitments are around the world, and how to properly structure that.”

Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Emma Burrows in London contributed.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with journalists during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, front second left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, front left, speak with each other during a group photo at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte look at each other as they deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže speaks at the doorstep of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting at Sea U in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives with his wife Jeanette at Malmo Airport, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Malmo-Sturup, Sweden, ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, second from left, shakes hands with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, as he is greeted by King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Maria Malmer Stenergard, right, before a dinner at Sofiero Castle in Helsingborg, Sweden, Thursday May 21 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)