NEW YORK — Ryan Garcia denied using performance-enhancing drugs in a video posted on social media Wednesday night after ESPN reported that he had tested positive for a banned substance.
Garcia defeated Devin Haney, a former amateur rival, by majority decision on April 20 in New York. Garcia knocked Haney down three times and handed the WBC super lightweight champion his first loss but did not win the title because he was over the weight limit.
“Everybody knows that I don’t cheat,” Garcia said in a video posted on X. “Never taken a steroid ... I don’t even know where to get steroids. ... I barely take supplements. Big lies.”
ESPN reported that the 25-year-old Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Ostarine the day before and the day of the fight, citing a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association letter. NBC News has not obtained the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association letter ESPN cited or verified the details in its report.
Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator, and its use can stimulate muscle growth. The drug is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The samples were taken before the fight, but the results weren’t known until later, ESPN reported.
“We learned about this situation not too long ago and it’s unfortunate Ryan cheated and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty and breaking positive not once, but twice,” Haney said in a statement to ESPN, adding: “This puts the fight in a completely different light.”
Garcia’s victory could be overturned if the positive drug test is confirmed.
