Ryan Garcia agreed to a minimum one-year suspension following his controversial bout with Devin Haney and a positive drug test, which resulted in the win being officially ruled void.
Ryan Garcia and his legal team have agreed to a one-year ban from boxing following a positive PED test.
A settlement agreement was confirmed on Thursday between Garcia, his legal team and the New York State Athletic Commission, which governs professional fighting, which sees Garcia suspended for at least a year and forfeit $1.1 million (£870,000) in fight money.
To make matters worse for Garcia, some of his winnings may go to his opponent, Devin Haney. The state also fined Garcia the maximum possible amount, $10,000 (£7,900). Garcia's win was voided and Haney was officially declared a no contest, leaving him undefeated.
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Haney took to social media shortly after the suspension was announced, writing of X, “Allah is the perfect planner and makes no mistakes. Alhamdulillah.” He later added, “I am thankful the committee did the right thing and made the right decision. I don't understand how Golden Boy is getting paid like they got beat up. They haven't even spoken out on this PED issue.”
Garcia has always maintained his innocence and denied the allegations of steroid use, but will not be allowed to compete professionally until next summer. Garcia has continued to maintain his innocence despite the agreement and expressed his anger on social media.
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“What was in my system was not enough for anything!!!!!! So I quit the game. I have never cheated,” he wrote to X. Garcia's urine sample tested positive for ostarine, a drug that binds to proteins in the body called androgen receptors.
The purpose of Ostarine is to bind to these receptors and promote muscle growth. Although Ostarine is not approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), it is sometimes found in supplements.
Garcia initially claimed his natural substances were contaminated and blamed his positive test on NutraBio's Super Carb Raspberry Lemonade and strawberry-flavored Body Heath Perfect Aminos. The two samples were taken the day before his bout with Haney and immediately after his shock win, which is now void.
Garcia was odds-on 5/1 to beat Haney, but he dominated “The Dream” and won by decision. Garcia knocked Haney down three times and nearly won by stoppage, but when the decision was up to the referee, he raised his hands in victory. Garcia is ineligible to claim Haney's title belt due to being overweight, and will not be able to hold it for at least the next 12 months.
It was a costly fight for Garcia, as he had already paid Haney $1.5 million before the bout even began. The bet agreed upon at the press conference was that either fighter would pay $500,000 for every pound over the weight limit, with Garcia being three pounds over. Garcia had also bet on winning the bout, and was stripped of his prize money following a controversy over a urine sample.
