DISCIPLINE AT LAST: HOW RYAN GARCIA CONQUERED THE SCALES AHEAD OF BARRIOS TITLE CLASH
Ryan Garcia clears the WBC 7-day weight check at 149.4 lbs! Get the full report on his Las Vegas title fight against Mario Barrios.
Ryan Garcia made sure to check every box before his big title shot. He didn’t just play by the rules; he stayed well under the safety weight limit at his seven-day check-in ahead of his fight with WBC welterweight champ Mario Barrios.
Both guys sent in video proof of their weight on Saturday, exactly a week before their February 21 DAZN main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Barrios came in at 150.6 pounds, easily under the 152-pound cap (that’s 3 per cent over the 147-pound limit). Garcia was even lighter, hitting 149.4 on the scale that evening.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman posted both results on social media right after they came in.
If you look back a bit, Garcia was almost five pounds lighter this time compared to his 14-day check-in, where he weighed 154. 2. The catch? He missed that earlier deadline by more than three days and got slapped with a $5,000 fine. The WBC warned that another slip-up would go public and get reported to the commission. Nothing like that happened this time, though both fighters were on point with their submissions.
Barrios, for his part, was right on schedule for the 14-day check, weighing 153, safely within the limit.
Now, with all the official pre-fight weight checks out of the way, both men can focus on Friday’s weigh-in.
Barrios is coming in as the full WBC welterweight champ, making his third defence. He’s held some version of the belt since beating Yordenis Ugas by a wide decision last September. He’s coming off two straight twelve-round draws: first with Abel Ramos in a wild fight last November, then with Manny Pacquiao last July at the MGM Grand.
As for Garcia, this will be his first shot at a full world title. He’s finally getting his chance after missing weight for his scheduled fight with Devin Haney for the WBC 140-pound belt back in April 2024. That whole episode got even messier when Garcia tested positive for Ostarine, a banned substance. He got a year-long suspension, and his majority decision over Haney was overturned to a no-contest.
Since then, Garcia has fought just once, losing on points to Rolando “Rolly” Romero after getting knocked down early in their secondary WBA welterweight title fight in New York.
Saturday marks Garcia’s return to Vegas for the first time since his huge non-title bout with Gervonta Davis in April 2023. That night ended in heartbreak. Davis stopped him in the seventh, but the event itself was a massive hit at the box office.
Everyone’s hoping Garcia brings that same energy to this fight.
There’s a twist this time, though. Joe Goossen, who trained Garcia for the Davis fight, is now in Barrios’s corner as head coach. Garcia will be sticking with his dad, Henry Garcia, his original trainer.
WHY NATE DIAZ SIGNED WITH JAKE PAUL’S MVP FOR MMA RETURN
Nate Diaz signs with Jake Paul’s MVP to face Mike Perry in an MMA return on the Rousey vs Carano Netflix card.
Nate Diaz is set to join the impressive undercard for the upcoming Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano bout. The UFC veteran has recently signed with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and will take on Mike Perry at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on May 16.
Diaz hasn’t stepped into the MMA cage since he submitted Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 back in 2022. After that, he tried his hand at boxing, debuting in the ring a year later, where he lost a points decision to Jake Paul. However, he bounced back in his next boxing match by securing a win against Jorge Masvidal.
There had been buzz about a potential fight between Diaz and Conor McGregor for McGregor’s UFC return, but those plans seem to have fallen through. Their history is well-known; they split victories in 2016, with Diaz dealing McGregor his first UFC loss. Many fans were hoping for a trilogy match, possibly headlining the promotion’s historic White House card.
Now Diaz is gearing up to face Perry at welterweight, following unified MMA rules over five rounds. He’ll be sharing the card with notable names like Francis Ngannou, who recently parted ways with PFL and is scheduled to fight Philipe Lins in the co-main event.
Diaz expressed his excitement about the return, saying, “Glad to be back in action." It’s time. Don’t forget where this all came from. I’ve got plans to keep going for the next decade, wherever it takes me. Time to set the bar again; get ready for a new takeover, again and again.”
He’s been hinting at this comeback for months and even called out Perry as part of a three-fight target list earlier this year. Diaz has openly admitted he has unfinished business in combat sports, aiming to capture gold before he retires.
His signing with MVP raises questions among MMA fans about whether the UFC had discussions with him beforehand, similar to what we saw with Rousey. She revealed she had talks with UFC CEO Dana White before announcing her Netflix fight against Carano, though she later criticised the UFC as a shadow of its former self, saying it no longer delivers the best fights.
While Diaz is undoubtedly the bigger name, Perry brings his own intensity to the card. Known as 'Platinum', Perry had a stint in McGregor’s Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship after leaving the UFC in 2021. He, too, has boxed and lost to Jake Paul before making a comeback to combat sports with a win over Jeremy Stephens at BKFC 82 last October.
Perry isn’t holding back, stating, “The King of Violence returns to MMA to elbow his opponent in the face.” The fight is set to be streamed on Netflix, with Perry promising Diaz will go “lights out” on May 16.
Nakisa Bidarian, MVP’s CEO, commented on the event’s massive potential, highlighting their record-breaking boxing viewership and expecting to smash those records again with this MMA card. He emphasised the matchup intensity, calling Diaz “the Real BMF” and Perry “the King of Violence", promising a battle from the first press conference through to the final bell.
This event in Los Angeles looks to be one of the biggest nights in combat sports, and Netflix’s involvement signals a bright future for MMA’s growth. More bouts for the card are expected to be announced soon, so keep an eye out for updates as the date approaches.
WHY FRANK WARREN BELIEVES RYAN GARNER IS READY FOR ELITE GOLD
Frank Warren declares Ryan Garner ready for a world title after a dominant third-round TKO win over Cristian Bielma.
Boxing promoter Frank Warren says super-featherweight Ryan Garner is just about ready to fight for a world title.
On Saturday night in Dublin, “The Piranha” made quick work of Cristian Bielma, stopping his Mexican opponent in the third round at 3Arena. Warren was clearly impressed by Garner’s performance, especially the way he handled every round.
“He did everything we asked of him tonight,” Warren said. “He was sharp, and when he needed to turn it up, he did it in style. He’s right there on the edge of a world title fight, and he’s definitely good enough to win one.”
Bielma never really challenged Garner. The Southampton native landed clean, heavy shots right from the start, leaving Bielma marked up early on. By the third, Garner had Bielma backed into a corner, piling on accurate punches until the referee stepped in to call it off.
Garner’s been dreaming about headlining a show in his hometown, Southampton, at St Mary’s Stadium. After a night like this, that dream feels within reach.
During fight week, rumours swirled that Garner could face the winner of Saturday’s main event this summer. But after Anthony Cacace beat James Dickens to claim the WBA super-featherweight title, Cacace made it clear he’s aiming higher.
“All respect to Ryan Garner, he’s a great up-and-comer,” Cacace said after his win. “But I’m after bigger names now. I want to unify the division. Emanuel Navarrete next, Saudi Arabia, wherever I am, I’ll be there.”
Navarrete currently holds the IBF and WBO super-featherweight titles.
Even though Cacace seems headed in another direction, Frank Warren is still confident Garner will get his shot soon.
“We’ll see how it all shakes out. Every fighter wants to unify belts, I get that,” Warren said. “But Ryan will fight for a world title. We’re planning a show in the south this summer; that’s what we’re aiming for. There are a few different options, but whatever happens, it’s going to be a big fight. Hopefully, it’s a world title fight.”
And about St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton? Warren didn’t hesitate: “Yep, that’s exactly what we want.”
