Ryan Garcia Fined by WBC Days Before Mario Barrios Title Fight

WBC fines Garcia for missed 14-day safety check before welterweight title bout

Ryan Garcia has been fined by the WBC days before his welterweight title fight with Mario Barrios. The sanction stems from a missed 14-day safety weight check required under championship rules.

BoxingScene first reported the issue, and DAZN confirmed the sanction. The WBC fined Garcia $5,000 for failing to submit his mandatory 14-day video weight check, a rule designed to keep fighters within range before championship week.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman addressed Garcia’s team directly.

“Ryan Garcia’s 14-day weight check was supposed to be received this past Saturday, February 7,” Sulaiman said.

“Champion Barrios did comply with the video of this mandatory safety rule. The WBC hereby imposes a $5000  fine for non-compliance.”

He added a clear warning.

“We expect to receive the weight video either today or first thing tomorrow morning, depending on his training schedule.

“If we do not receive this video by then, we will be making a press statement and will contact the boxing commission with this concern.”

Barrios complied. Garcia did not.  Both fighters later reported under the 155-pound checkpoint two weeks out, Garcia at 154.2 pounds and Barrios at 153. The next requirement is stricter. Both must register within three percent of the 147-pound limit at the next check.

Garcia has had to answer scale issues on championship week before. Ahead of his April 2023 bout with Devin Haney, he missed contracted weight by more than three pounds. Trainers remember those details. So do sanctioning bodies.

At this level, weight discipline is part of preparation, same as jab discipline and conditioning. A welterweight title fight is not only about range control and counters on Saturday night. It starts weeks earlier with scales, structure, and compliance.

The WBC has been firm on safety protocols in recent cycles. That pattern explains why fines are issued quickly and publicly.

Garcia still dictates where this goes. If his conditioning is right and the weight is on point, it becomes about pace, pressure, and punch selection against a champion who starts with the jab and stays tight in the pocket. Miss the mark, and the fight starts slipping away before the opening bell.

Date, Venue, Start Times and Streaming Info

Date: February 21
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Start time: 6 pm local time / 9 pm ET / 2 am UK
Stream: DAZN PPV
Fight card: Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia, WBC welterweight title
Where to watch: DAZN PPV