Ryan Garcia's B samples positive for Ostarine, as expected

Faces hearing, possible suspension and result of Haney fight being overturned due to failing two tests for the banned PED

Dan Rafael

May 24, 2024

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The results of testing on Ryan Garcia’s B samples, which were opened on Wednesday with a representative from his camp on hand to observe, were returned on Thursday and, as expected, they were both positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug Ostarine.

Fight Freaks Unite obtained both B sample lab reports, which show they were positive for the PED.

See Garcia's B sample lab reports

Garcia’s A samples previously tested positive for the banned substance in relation to his upset majority decision win over WBC junior welterweight titlist Devin Haney in their high-profile pay-per-view main event on April 20 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

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Garcia tested positive for Ostarine in urine samples provided to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, which Haney and Garcia contracted to oversee testing for the fight, on April 19 and April 20, although those results did come back until 10 days after the bout. Both fighters were subject to random testing throughout the lead up to the fight and those other tests were negative.

After VADA notified Garcia that he had failed the tests, he had 10 days to ask for his B sample to be tested, which he did. Like Garcia’s A samples, the B samples were analyzed in South Jordan, Utah, at the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL), which is one of two World Anti-Doping Agency accredited labs in the United States.

With the A samples already having tested positive it was entirely expected that the B samples would also test positive for Ostarine, which has been on the WADA banned list since 2008 and in 2022 was officially listed by WADA as an anabolic agent. It is used to assist athletic performance by helping build muscle mass, burn fat, increase stamina and give the athlete the ability to recover quickly from strenuous work.

After Fight Freaks Unite broke the news of the failed B tests, Garcia wrote on social media, “I FUCKING LOVE STEROIDS” in a since-deleted post.

Garcia also posted, “I don’t care if I never make money again with boxing. Your loss, not mine for setting me up. Lol joke’s on y’all. I will swallow all steroids.”

See Garcia's B sample lab reports

Garcia faces a hearing in front of the New York State Athletic Commission to answer for the failed tests. The hearing has not been scheduled but is likely to take place in the coming weeks.

“This matter is still under review by the New York State Athletic Commission and no further comment on the details of the pending investigation will be provided at this time,” a NYSAC spokesperson told Fight Freaks Unite. “The Commission strictly prohibits the use of performance enhancing drugs and works vigorously to uphold the integrity of the sport and maintain a level playing field. Where violations are found, the Commission will take action.”

‘I FUCKING LOVE STEROIDS’ — Garcia after the B sample results were returned in a since-deleted social media post

Garcia likely will be suspended and the result of the fight overturned. It could either be changed to a no contest or a disqualification loss for Garcia and a DQ win for Haney, whose attorney, Patrick English, wrote a nine-page letter to the commission making the case that it should be changed to a disqualification and that Haney’s undefeated record should be restored.

English cited that in addition to the two failed drug tests Garcia made public comments that he missed weight on purpose to gain an unfair advantage and also evidence that Garcia used an IV bag to hydrate before the fight, which is strictly against New York rules without a therapeutic use exemption, which Garcia did not have. IVs are often used as a masking agent to avoid a positive test by diluting the body’s urine.

Garcia’s legal team — Paul Greene, Matt Kaiser, Darin Chavez and Guadalupe Valencia — issued a joint statement after the B samples came back positive and once again claimed Garcia had not knowingly taken a banned substance and that he had submitted to hair testing, which came back negative.

“Ryan Garcia is committed to clean and fair competition and has never intentionally used any banned substance,” Garcia’s legal team said in a statement given to Fight Freaks Unite. “Soon after being notified of his positive test, Ryan voluntarily had his hair collected and shipped to Dr. Pascal Kintz, the foremost expert in toxicology and hair-sample analysis. The results of Ryan’s hair sample came back negative. This is consistent with contamination and demonstrably proves that Ryan had not ingested Ostarine over a period of time — the only way he would have had any advantage whatsoever in the ring.

“Ryan has voluntarily submitted to tests throughout his career, which have always shown negative results. He also tested negative multiple times leading up to the fight against Haney. … We are certain that one of the natural supplements Ryan was using in the lead up to the fight will prove to be contaminated and are in the process of testing the supplements to determine the exact source.”

Garcia’s team did not, however, offer any proof of the hair testing nor disclose where on the body the hair came from, which is significant when it comes to that sort of testing. There has also been extremely limited research with regard to Ostarine and hair testing.

According to ScienceDirect, “A negative hair result cannot exclude the use of the detected drug and cannot overrule the urine result.”

Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs for now), 25, of Los Angeles, scored three knockdowns against Haney (31-1, 15 KOs for now), 25, of Las Vegas, flooring him with left hooks in the in the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds to win 115-109 and 114-110 while one judge had it 112-112. Garcia, however, was ineligible to win the 140-pound title and Haney could not lose it because Garcia was 3.2 pounds over the 140-pound division limit.

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