Garcia–Barrios Undercard Revealed, and the PPV Case Isn’t There

The undercard for Ryan Garcia vs. Mario Barrios was posted on social media today. It answered one question and raised a bigger one. Why is this on PPV? It should be complimentary.

The February 21 card is still a skeleton. Not a framework. A skeleton. A few names. No muscle. No weight. Nothing that makes someone pause before deciding whether to order the event on DAZN PPV.

So far, the listed fights are Armando Reséndiz vs. Edgar Berlanga, Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka, and Lester Martínez vs. a to-be-announced opponent. That’s the public version. That’s what fans are being asked to react to. The issue is the placement.

Reséndiz vs. Berlanga is being positioned as the co-feature. That’s a mistake. A big one. Berlanga has two recent losses since 2024. Moreover, he was knocked out in his last fight.

This is not a PPV-level fight. It shouldn’t even be close. This is a fight that belongs on the free portion of the card. Early. Before the paywall. Something you stumble into while deciding whether to order the main event.

Berlanga is coming off a knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz in July. He has lost two of his last three fights. There is no momentum here. No push. No climb. He didn’t earn a title shot. He was handed one.

Reséndiz deserves better than this setup. If he wins, it won’t move the needle. If he loses, the division looks worse for it. Either way, fans feel like they’re being sold placement instead of merit.

This is the kind of fight that works on a prelim. It fills time. It keeps names busy. It does not belong near the top of a PPV card.

Russell vs. Hiraoka doesn’t help much either. Hiraoka is ranked high, but rankings don’t equal interest. There’s no story here. No urgency. It’s a fight that exists because it can, not because anyone asked for it.

Turki Alalshikh is listed as a sponsor, but this is still a PBC event. The undercard details were first reported by Julius Julianis. More fights are expected to be added. They have to be.

Because right now, the card is asking people to pay for potential. Not delivery. That’s always a risky sell.