Garcia said a rematch becomes realistic if he defeats Barrios and adds a welterweight belt to his résumé. Haney currently holds the WBO title at 147 pounds, which would allow both fighters to enter a second fight with championship status attached.
Garcia ties Haney rematch to Barrios outcome
“The cards haven’t aligned yet, but when I win this (Mario Barrios) fight, we’ll both have world titles, so we could come together,” Garcia said during an interview on One Night with Steiny.
The rivalry has remained unresolved since their April 2024 bout, 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 substance.
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 did not 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 from strength.
The opportunity against Barrios now gives him a direct route back into championship status, but it also represents a fight he can’t afford to lose or look poor in if he wants Haney to remain a realistic opponent.
Garcia has expressed confidence that the Barrios fight will end inside the distance.
“I see 8, 9, or 10,” Garcia said when predicting the outcome. “No, it’s not going the 12 rounds.”
He also suggested his contractual position could make future negotiations easier.
“I am currently, but after this fight, I’ll be sort of a free agent,” Garcia said.
For now, the Haney rematch exists only as a conditional plan tied to Garcia defeating Barrios. He is still one result away from making those conversations real, and until he proves he can win at welterweight against a champion, the fight he keeps mentioning remains unfinished business rather than an inevitable next step.
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