Devin Haney has offered his prediction for the fight between his former foe Ryan Garcia and WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
Garcia is expected to lock horns with Barrios on February 21, with ‘King Ry’ declaring on social media last week that he has signed on the dotted line.
The 27-year-old’s first outing at 147lbs did not exactly go according to plan, however, as a lacklustre performance ultimately saw him lose a unanimous decision to Rolando Romero.
That second professional defeat arrived in May, just over a year removed from Garcia’s controversial majority decision victory over Haney, which was later overturned to a no-contest.
This was because ‘King Ry’ had tested positive for ostarine, a performance-enhancing substance, which then prompted the New York State Athletic Commission to hand him a year-long ban. Despite that, and indeed his loss to Romero, Garcia is set for the chance to become world champion at 147lbs in 2026..
Since his first encounter with Garcia, meanwhile, Haney has bounced back with an uneventful win over Jose Ramirez, who he outpointed in May, and a far more impressive display against Brian Norman Jr.
After flooring his man in the second round of their fight last Saturday, Haney encountered minimal difficulty before claiming a unanimous decision victory over Norman and being crowned the new WBO welterweight champion.
With the 27-year-old having become a three-division world champion, it would seem that a rematch with Garcia remains at the top of his wish list.
Speaking with Fight Hub TV after his victory over Norman, Haney expressed his confidence that their potential showdown will materialise and that it will be a unification.
“Of course [I want the rematch with Garcia] – that’s redemption. The same way he was rooting for me [against Norman], I’ll be rooting for him [against Barrios].
“I want him to win, and I think that [the stars] will align. It’ll be a massive fight.”
If Garcia can defeat Barrios, a two-belt clash against Haney would certainly be one of the biggest fights of 2026.
