Ryan Garcia will return to the boxing ring later TONIGHT (Sat., Feb. 21, 2026) to challenge current WBC Welterweight champion, Mario Barrios, inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, streaming live on DAZN PPV in what is sure-to-be a highly-intriguing bout.
The event (full fight card here) is also stacked with two other title fights as Richardson Hitchins will defend his IBF Super Lightweight title against Oscar Duarte, while Gary Antuanne Russell puts his WBA Super Lightweight championship on the line
against Andy Hiraoka.
What’s Hot:
BARRIOS VS. GARCIA CHEAT SHEET
What boxing event is on tonight? “Barrios vs. Garcia”
Who Is Fighting At Barrios vs. Garcia: Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia is the 12-round WBC Welterweight title fight.
What time does Garcia vs. Duarte start? TONIGHT (Sat., Feb. 21, 2026), beginning at 8 p.m. ET on DAZN PPV.
Where will Barrios vs. Garcia take place? T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How can I watch Barrios vs. Garcia? Live on DAZN PPV starting at 8 p.m. ET.
How do I bet on Barrios vs. Garcia? Check out the latest lines at DraftKings.com.
Where can I get Barrios vs. Garcia updates and results? Get full Barrios vs. Garcia play-by-play updates and live coverage here!
After kicking off his professional boxing career with 23 straight wins, Garcia suffered his first-ever defeat at the hands of Gervonta Davis via seventh round knockout (results here) in April 2023. He did bounce back with a win over Oscar Duarte, then defeated Devin Haney in an epic performance; however, that victory was later ruled a “No Contest” after Garcia failed a post-fight drug test. He followed that up with a loss to Rolando Romero, so it’s safe to say that his last few years haven’t exactly been the best. That said, Garcia has talent and all the potential in the world to turn it around for himself and, despite his struggles, was still awarded a title shot. Many feel “King Ry” has the looks and skills to be the “face of boxing” at some point, and a win over Barrios would be a huge step in the right direction.
As for Barrios (29-2-2), he is coming of back-to-back draws against Abel Ramos and Manny Pacquiao. “El Azteca” had a tough time against Pacquaio last year after “PacMan” gave Barrios all he could handle during their title fight (highlights). Still, Barrios is one of the best fighters in the sport. And if he can secure a victory over Garcia, his stock would soar through the roof. This fight is intriguing in more ways than one because many still aren’t sold on Garcia’s ability to win a major world strap, a signature victory to get him over the hump. Garcia is adamant that he will be a free agent after the fight and will look to partner up with another promoter, ending his working relationship with Oscar de la Hoya. Both of these men crack hard, so this should be a very entertaining title fight.
How The Undercard Looks:
Richardson Hitchins is coming off the biggest win of his boxing career, defeating George Kambosos Jr. last summer to retain his IBF Super Lightweight title ahead of his fight against Oscar Duarte (30-2-1) in the co-main event of the evening. Undefeated (20-0) with eight knockouts and fresh off his dominant performance over Kambosos Jr., he’s a heavy favorite going into his second title defense. As for Duarte, the Mexican-born boxer is known for his great counter attacks and relentless pressure. He is on a four-fight win streak and hones his skills with renowned trainer, Robert Garcia. This will be his first chance at winning a world title and is out to shock the world in the process, too.
Gary Antuanne Russell will attempt to defend his WBA Super Lightweight Championship for the first time against Andy Hiraoka, who is undefeated at 24-0. Russell has speed on his side and brings elite punching power coupled with relentless pressure, and championship experience. He is fresh off a dominant unanimous decision win over Jose Valenzuela to claim the belt, which was preceded by his first and lone defeat at the hands of Alberto Puello. Hiraoka, meanwhile, will have a significant height and reach advantage that has helped him collect 19 knockouts in his career. His length can allow him to keep Russell at bay to avoid the champion’s power. That said, it was revealed that Hiraoka flew in from Japan just two days ago, so it remains to be seen if jet lag plays a factor in the title fight.
Frank Martin (19-1) will face Nahir Albright (17-2) in a Super Lightweight bout. After starting off his career at 18-0, Martin suffered the first and only loss of his boxing career at the hands of Gervonta Davis in June 2024. He managed to bounce back with a knockout win over Rances Barthelemy. Martin is known for being patient and picking his shots carefully without much wasted motion inside the ring. As for Albright, he is fighting out of Philadelphia and is an orthodox fighter that always delivers punches in bunches. He is coming off a majority decision win over Kelvin Davis, and is out to keep his momentum going by becoming just the second man to defeat Martin.
Bektemir Melikuziev (10-1) vs. Sena Agbeko (29-4) will collide in a WBA Super Middleweight title eliminator fight to kick off the main card. Melikuziev is a 29-year-old southpaw from Uzbekistan and won an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 games. He is currently riding a nine-fight win streak and has a 60-percent knockout rate. He’s coming off a unanimous decision victory over Darius Fulghum and is eager to earn another title shot to potentially add to his mantle, which already has the WBA Inter-Continental Super Middleweight title on display. Agbeko, meanwhile, is a 34-year-old Ghanaian fighting out Nashville, Tenn. Agbeko is built like a tank but has not been too consistent when it comes to locking down big wins. He is coming off a win over Pierre Williams, but prior to that he suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of David Morrell and Osleys Iglesias.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
Let’s keep it real, Garcia needs a win here because he has had a very tumultuous last couple of years. When you couple his failed drug tests, his outbursts against his promoter and his loss to Romero, “King Ry” could use some good news for his career. A loss won’t be the end of him, but getting another title fight will be hard to come by should he come up short against Barrios. Furthermore, a loss will leave the young star at a crossroads in his career.
Interest Level: 8.5/10
This is a pretty solid fight card all around. Aside from the highly-intriguing main event, the rest of the main card features a few more champions looking to keep their belts while the challengers have all the motivation they need to pull off the upset. We are early in the year, but this is already one of the best boxing cards of 2026. Zuffa Boxing has gotten off to a pretty slow start, and this event will remind us what high-level boxing is all about.
Full Barrios vs. Garcia Fight Card:
147 lbs.: Mario Barrios (29-2) vs. Ryan Garcia (24-2-1)
140 lbs.: Richardson Hitchins (20-0) vs. Oscar Duarte (30-2-1) IBF Super Lightweight Championship
140 lbs.: Gary Antuanne Russell (18-1) vs. Andy Hiraoka (24-0) WBA Super Lightweight Championship
140 lbs.: Frank Martin (19-1) vs. Nahir Albright (17-2)
168 lbs.: Bektemir Melikuziev (10-1) vs. Sena Agbeko (29-4)
