Oscar De La Hoya is optimistic that the upcoming title bout between Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia will serve as a significant stepping stone towards fostering a lucrative partnership between Golden Boy Promotions and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
After much anticipation, the much-discussed showdown between Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia is on the verge of being officially announced. This highly anticipated WBC welterweight championship fight is set to be the centerpiece of a PBC event streamed on Prime Video, with additional distribution through DAZN, scheduled for February 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In a recent video shared across his social media platforms, De La Hoya remarked, "I've been busy this week finalizing the Ryan Garcia-Mario Barrios fight. Details will be announced Monday."
According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, TGB Promotions, which primarily promotes PBC events, along with Golden Boy, has secured the T-Mobile Arena for this exciting event on February 21.
As reported earlier by BoxingScene, the fight card is also expected to feature a WBA 140lbs title clash between Gary Antuanne Russell and Andy Hiraoka. Additionally, there’s talk of including a long-anticipated IBF heavyweight title eliminator featuring Frank Sanchez against Richard Torrez Jr. PBC is also likely to announce yet another title fight, adding even more excitement to the lineup.
Mario Barrios, who boasts a record of 29 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws (with 18 knockouts), will be defending his WBC 147lbs title for the third time. The fighter from San Antonio earned an interim title in September 2023 after decisively defeating former WBA champion Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision over 12 rounds. Following a victory in May 2024 against Fabian Maidana, Barrios was elevated to full title status after the previous champion, Terence Crawford, vacated his title.
Interestingly, since achieving this elevated title status, Barrios has not secured a victory. He faced two consecutive draws against Abel Ramos during the November 2024 Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event on Netflix, and later against Manny Pacquiao atop the July 19 PBC on Prime PPV event held at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
On the other hand, Ryan Garcia holds a record of 24 wins, 2 losses (with 20 knockouts) and is now presented with a chance to fight for a major title despite not having secured a win in over two years. The former WBC interim lightweight champion fought only once in 2025, suffering a heavy loss to Rolando Romero by unanimous decision on May 2 in New York City. Their bout topped a Ring card funded by Turki Alalshikh amidst a chaotic promotional environment in Times Square.
Garcia has openly acknowledged that he wasn’t in optimal condition for that fight due to various challenges, although expectations were high for him to perform well. This match marked his return after a controversial No-Contest against Devin Haney in April 2024, where he missed weight by three pounds and subsequently received a one-year suspension for testing positive for the banned substance Ostarine.
Overall, Garcia hasn’t added a victory to his record since knocking out Oscar Duarte in December 2023, which stands as his sole win in his last four fights, occurring eight months after his knockout defeat at the hands of Gervonta “Tank” Davis in April 2023.
The bout with Davis is significant for Garcia's continued relevance in the 147lbs division conversations. Their fight drew a sold-out crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, generating an impressive $22.8 million in ticket sales and over $100 million from 1.2 million pay-per-view buys.
This event was a collaborative effort between Showtime, the preferred platform for PBC, and DAZN, in addition to Golden Boy successfully advocating for DAZN’s involvement in Saul "Canelo" Alvarez's victory over Jaime Munguia in May 2024, when Alvarez was still aligned with PBC.
De La Hoya made a notable impact during the promotion, shifting his attention to Alvarez, whom he managed for a decade before their contentious split in 2020.
In a twist of fate, De La Hoya is now looking forward to a more harmonious collaboration with PBC, despite facing his own complicated relationship with Garcia. The prospect of rekindling ties with PBC’s founder, Al Haymon, could open new pathways for Golden Boy Promotions, especially considering their tumultuous interactions with DAZN, which have often felt precarious.
Currently, Golden Boy and PBC stand as the two most prominent active entities in the U.S. boxing scene, particularly in light of Top Rank's ongoing struggles to secure platform deals. As a Hall of Fame former six-division champion, De La Hoya recognizes the immense potential in uniting forces with leading promoters to keep boxing thriving in the U.S. market.
“I’m really excited to be working with PBC and Al Haymon,” De La Hoya emphasized, recalling their productive partnership prior to their fallout and subsequent legal disputes in 2014. “We have numerous fantastic matchups to explore as the top promoters in the U.S., and my goal is to keep these thrilling fights within our nation.”
Jake Donovan is an esteemed journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007 to 2024 and was the news editor during the final nine years of his tenure. He also held the position of lead writer for The Ring before choosing to return to his roots. Follow Jake on X (https://x.com/JakeNDaBox) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jakendabox_).
