The saga of Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney took an unexpected turn.
Garcia’s drug tests carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) revealed the presence of the banned substance ostarine during his clash with Haney on April 20th. Esteemed boxing reporter Dan Rafael was the first to report this finding. Garcia tested positive for ostarine in both a pre-fight and post-fight urine test on April 19th and 20th respectively.
In addition, Garcia disclosed that a sample from April 19 showed the presence of 19-norandrosterone (a nandrolone and boranedione metabolite) in a screening test, but further confirmation is pending through isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS).
Ostarine, a banned selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), has been linked to numerous cases of supplement contamination in the past.
Despite his dominant victory over Haney, 25-year-old Garcia vehemently denied using any performance-enhancing drugs following the revelation on Wednesday.
Dismissing the report as “fake news,” Garcia took to X Spaces to voice his disbelief. He asserted, “I’ve never touched steroids in my life… If they had this information, it should have been made public before the fight. Why allow a cheater in the ring? It all seems shady to me… I know deep down I’m innocent. This is all a joke to me. I’m truly innocent.”
Expressing his frustration explicitly, Garcia challenged the allegations and defended his victory against Haney, stating, “They’re cheating to try to steal my victory… I’ve never cheated a day in my life. I’ve never done it before, and I never will. It doesn’t really affect me that much.”
Additionally, Garcia posted a video protesting his innocence, urging viewers to disregard the accusations made against him. Photo of “Ashwagandha root”
Some of Garcia’s responses on social media are displayed below.
I need more steroids, I’m addicted to them.
Hmm
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024
They’re trying to take away my biggest victory and it’s kind of sad to think about it
I don’t care, I love God and He will make this right
I love Jesus ✝️
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024
No, I’m not going to have a rematch with him.
I beat him easily and fair.
A rematch with him would be terrible.
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024
Why on earth would you volunteer for a drug test if you plan on taking drugs?
In a way that makes sense? ? ?
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarcia) May 2, 2024
Mr. Garcia has a 10-day window to request testing of the B sample.
The impact of Wednesday’s news on the Garcia vs. Haney bout remains uncertain; however, Garcia may face penalties, suspension, and a potential voiding of his victory pending further developments.
MMA Fighting will provide updates on this situation as it progresses.
