“That’s definitely a move from their PR team,” Garcia said. “They keep saying it just so they can erase that a** taking he took. He took a bad a** whooping.”
The exchange led Garcia back to the suspension that followed his failed test for Ostarine. He repeated his claim that the punishment was uneven compared to other cases and said the 12 month ban was imposed to make an example of him rather than reflect precedent.
“As you can see with everybody else that got caught with Ostarine, they don’t get 12 months. I got 12 months,” Garcia said. “So they definitely made an example out of me. It’s okay. We did our time for a crime that we did not do, and we’re ready to move forward.”
Garcia is scheduled to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on February 21. The fight serves as a reset after a difficult stretch that included the suspension and a loss to Rolando Romero in May 2025. Unlike that bout, this fight places a full WBC title in front of him.
Questions about drug testing followed quickly. Garcia said the oversight around the fight is strict and dismissed suggestions that his appearance should trigger suspicion.
“VADA testing. What do you think we’re doing?” Garcia said. “You don’t think they’re going to test? Yeah, they’re testing. I’m training hard. When somebody else has a six pack, they’re in shape. When I have one, people say steroids.”
Garcia also said that if he wins the title, he would be willing to face WBC mandatory challenger Conor Benn next.
For now, Garcia said his focus stays on the fight itself. Preparation and oversight are already in place. The rest, including the latest comments from Devin Haney, is not part of his thinking as he moves toward February 21.
