(January 12th) San Antonio, Texas, Mario “El Azteca” Barrios and Los Angeles, California’s, Ryan “King Ry” Garcia are scheduled to meet in a fight billed as “The Ring: High Stakes” for Barrios WBC Welterweight World title Saturday, February 21st at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The contest represents a pivotal moment for both fighters, each entering the bout seeking a definitive statement after recent setbacks.

The high-consequence crossroads bout is slated to headline a major pay-per-view event promoted by TGB Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions, on a Ring-branded card backed by Turki Alalshikh is scheduled to air live on DAZN Pay-Per-View. 

The 30-year-old, Barrios, 29-2-2, 18Ko’s only professional defeats a 2021 stoppage loss to Gervonta “Tank” Davis junior welterweight and a wide decision loss to Keith “One Time” Thurman at welterweight in 2022 captured the WBC interim welterweight title in September 2023 with a wide unanimous decision victory over Yordenis Ugas. He made a successful interim defense in May 2024, earning a twelve-round unanimous decision over Fabian Maidana.

Shortly thereafter, Terence Crawford vacated the WBC welterweight championship while pursuing bouts outside the division, prompting the WBC to elevate Barrios from interim to full welterweight world champion. Since gaining full title status, Barrios has retained the belt through a split-decision draw against Abel Ramos in November 2024 and a majority draw against former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, July 2025.

For this title defense, Barrios has added an intriguing wrinkle by linking up with veteran trainer Joe Goossen, who previously worked with Garcia earlier in his career.

At 27 years old, the always controversial, Garcia, 24-2, 20Ko’s, 1 NC, enters as the challenger amid renewed scrutiny and opportunity. Despite his global popularity and repeated appearances on major cards, Garcia has never held a full world championship.

His most recent outing came in May 2025, when he made his welterweight debut and lost a wide unanimous decision to Rolando “Rolly” Romero in a bout contested for a secondary WBA title. Romero has since been elevated to full WBA champion status.

Before that, Garcia’s controversial April 2024 bout with Devin Haney initially appeared to be a breakthrough, as he scored three knockdowns and earned a decision at junior welterweight. That result was later overturned to a No Contest after Garcia tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine and missed weight. He was subsequently suspended for one year.

Garcia’s only clear victory since 2023 remains an eighth-round knockout of Oscar Duarte, a performance often cited as one of the most complete wins of his career.

The WBC removed Garcia from its rankings following the Haney case, but on November 3, 2025, WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán announced that Garcia’s suspension had expired and that he was eligible to challenge for the title.

The Barrios fight represents Garcia’s third attempt to secure a major world title across multiple weight classes.

Both fighters enter the bout coming off non-wins, heightening the stakes of the matchup. For Barrios, the fight is an opportunity to solidify his legitimacy as champion. For Garcia, it is widely viewed as a critical chance to validate his elite status at the championship level.

The WBC has indicated that Conor Benn is positioned as a future mandatory challenger, meaning the winner of Barrios vs. Garcia could be ordered to face Benn later in 2026, further raising the bout’s long-term significance.

While the supporting cast has not yet been “officially” announced, the following matchups have been strongly linked to the event:

Capitol Heights, Maryland, WBA Jr. Welterweight Champion, Gary “The Last” Antuanne Russell, 18-1, 17Ko’s defending his belt against Yokohama, Japan’s unbeaten Andy Hiraoka, 24-0, 19Ko’s and in a IBF Heavyweight Title Eliminator, Miami, Florida, “Cuban Flash” Frank Sánchez facing off against  Tulare, California, 2020 Olympic Superheavyweight Silver Medalist, Richard Torrez Jr; 14-0, 12Ko’s.  

Event Snapshot

Date: Saturday, February 21st, 2026

Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

Main Event: Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia

Event Name: The Ring: High Stakes

Promoters: TGB Promotions - Tom Brown, Golden Boy Promotions - Oscar De La Hoya – “The Ring” - Turki Alalshikh

Broadcast: DAZN Pay-Per-View

Ticket information and the full “official undercard is expected to be announced soon.