Garcia said a rematch becomes realistic if he defeats Barrios and adds a welterweight belt to his resume. Haney currently holds the WBO title at 147 pounds, which would allow both fighters to enter a second fight with championship status.
Garcia links Haney rematch with Barrios decision
“The cards haven’t lined up yet, but when I win this (Mario Barrios) fight, we’ll both have world titles, so we can get together,” Garcia said during an interview on One night with Steiny.
The rivalry has remained unresolved since their April 2024 match, which Garcia originally won by majority decision. The result was later overturned and changed to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for Ostarine, a banned performance-enhancing drug.
He was suspended for one year. The timing removed him from competition during the exact period when a rematch would have carried immediate value and public demand.
Garcia’s return last year didn’t rebuild that path. He was knocked out by Rolando Romero in May 2025. That loss left him without a title and forced him to work his way back into position instead of negotiating with power.
The opportunity against Barrios now gives him a direct path back to championship status, but it also represents a fight in which he cannot afford to lose or look poor if he wants Haney to remain a realistic opponent.
Garcia expressed confidence that the Barrios fight will end within the distance.
“I see 8, 9 or 10,” Garcia said when predicting the outcome. “No, it’s not going to be the 12 rounds.”
He also suggested that his contractual position could make future negotiations easier.
“Right now I am, but after this fight I’ll be kind of a free agent,” Garcia said.
For now, the Haney rematch exists only as a contingent plan tied to Garcia defeating Barrios. He’s still one result of making those conversations real, and until he proves he can win at welterweight against a champion, the fight he keeps calling remains unfinished business rather than an inevitable next step.
