Ryan Garcia has had a chaotic couple of years, but he hasn’t disappeared—he’s actually gearing up for a world title shot in early 2026 while trying to rebuild his image and career.

Quick Scoop: What Happened To Ryan Garcia?

1. The wild rise, fall, and comeback arc

  • Ryan Garcia went from being one of boxing’s brightest young stars to a deeply polarizing figure because of in‑ring results, drug tests, social media behavior, and personal struggles.
  • In 2024 he scored a headline-grabbing “win” over Devin Haney, only for that result to be overturned after he tested positive for the banned substance ostarine, leading to a no contest and major backlash.
  • Around the same time, his erratic online presence, trolling, conspiratorial posts, and strange promotional antics led many fans to openly worry about his mental health and stability.

A lot of the “what happened to Ryan Garcia?” conversation began when fans couldn’t tell if he was genuinely spiraling or just leaning into a chaotic heel persona to sell fights.

2. Suspension, controversy, and legal trouble

  • After the positive drug test related to the Haney fight, Garcia was hit with a one‑year suspension and the bout was officially ruled a no contest, wiping away what had looked like a career‑defining upset.
  • He was also expelled from the WBC in 2024 after using racial slurs on social media, which badly damaged his public image and relationships with boxing authorities.
  • Outside the ring, reports and features described him battling mental‑health issues and a drinking problem, plus fallout from an arrest at a Beverly Hills hotel, adding to the “downward spiral” narrative in late 2024.

3. The Rolly Romero loss and long layoff

  • When his suspension ended, Garcia headlined a high‑profile Times Square card against Rolando “Rolly” Romero in May 2025, but the comeback didn’t go as planned.
  • He was dropped in the second round and lost a wide unanimous decision, with observers saying he looked physically and mentally off, far from the sharp puncher who once blew away contenders.
  • After the fight he had surgery on his right hand, which, along with his earlier injuries and turbulence, kept him out of the ring for months and fueled more online speculation about whether he was done at the top level.

4. Social media chaos and mental‑health concerns

  • During this entire period, Garcia’s social media became a spectacle: bizarre videos, conspiracy talk, religious and geopolitical rants, trolling influencers, and confusing posts about his personal life.
  • Commentators and fans debated whether this was calculated promotion or signs of deeper issues, with some pointing to prior mental‑health struggles and others seeing it as “trolling gone wrong.”
  • Long‑form breakdowns of his behavior frame it as a messy mix of hype tactics, possible substance use, pressure of fame, and genuine emotional strain, making it hard to draw a clean line between act and reality.

5. Where he is now: Title shot vs. Mario Barrios

  • Despite the chaos, Garcia has secured a major opportunity: he is scheduled to fight WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on February 21, 2026, in Las Vegas, billed as a high‑stakes world title bout.
  • This will be his first fight since the loss to Romero and his first chance to win a full world title, even though he hasn’t recorded a win since before his suspension and has yet to notch a victory at welterweight.
  • The matchup has drawn criticism from fans and analysts who argue his star power—not his recent record—is what earned him the shot, but Garcia insists this is his moment to become champion and rewrite the narrative.

6. How people are talking about it (forums & discussion vibes)

  • Forum and comment‑section chatter often splits into three camps: those who think he’s a talented but troubled star who needs support, those who see him as an unapologetic clout‑chaser, and those who enjoy the chaos as entertainment.
  • Many threads about “what happened to Ryan Garcia” blend concern (mental health, substance use, bad influences) with typical boxing‑fan cynicism about promotion, matchmaking, and whether he genuinely loves the sport or just the spotlight.
  • As the Barrios fight approaches, a lot of the talk focuses on whether this will be a redemption arc—troubled star finally settling down and winning a belt—or the final confirmation that the hype train ran out of track.

7. Key timeline at a glance (recent years)

  • 2023: KO win over Oscar Duarte; hype grows.
  • April 2024: Beats Devin Haney on the cards, but comes in overweight and later tests positive for ostarine; result changed to no contest and he’s suspended.
  • Mid–late 2024: Expelled from WBC over racist social media comments; media focus on mental health, drinking, and erratic online behavior.
  • May 2025: Returns vs. Rolly Romero, knocked down and loses by unanimous decision; later has surgery on his right hand.
  • November 2025–January 2026: Ban lifted, WBC reinstates him; title shot vs. Mario Barrios on February 21, 2026, officially announced.

TL;DR: Ryan Garcia went through a storm of failed drug tests, suspension, WBC expulsion, mental‑health and drinking‑related headlines, erratic social media, and a tough loss on his return—but he’s now back in line for a WBC welterweight title shot against Mario Barrios on February 21, 2026, which could either relaunch his career or cement his fall.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.