Ryan Garcia says banned Ostarine had no impact in Devin Haney bout

Ryan Garcia has renewed the dispute over his failed drug tests after saying Ostarine had no effect on his 2024 fight with Devin Haney. Garcia knocked Haney down three times on April 20, 2024, and won by majority decision in New York, but the result was later changed to a no-contest.

The controversy resurfaced after British boxer Jack Catterall described Garcia as a drug cheat while discussing a possible meeting with Haney. Catterall said he respected Haney and viewed him as unbeaten because Garcia was the only fighter to defeat him. Garcia rejected that assessment and argued that the trace amount of Ostarine found in his system did not give him an advantage.

Garcia has consistently denied knowingly taking the banned substance. He said he was either contaminated or set up, and questioned what benefit he could have gained because he was not in condition for the bout. The fight nevertheless became the defining performance of his career, as he dropped an unbeaten Haney three times during a chaotic contest.

Garcia accepted a one-year suspension and forfeited his purse after the positive tests. He said he chose not to continue challenging the case after being told that he would face a fine and suspension regardless, deciding instead to serve the punishment. His contamination explanation has also faced scrutiny from Victor Conte, a former member of Haney’s team who questioned the testing of two supplements provided by Garcia.

The supplement issue became more disputed when manufacturers supplied sealed containers carrying the same lot numbers as products that had tested negative for Ostarine. That development did not settle whether Garcia knowingly used the substance or whether it influenced the fight, leaving the circumstances around the result contested.

Garcia returned from his suspension against Rolando “Rolly” Romero in May 2025. He was dropped and lost that bout by unanimous decision, a performance that contrasted sharply with his showing against Haney. Garcia’s latest comments have again placed the no-contest at the centre of debate, while he continues to insist that he never deliberately took Ostarine and gained no benefit from it.