Ryan Garcia tested positive twice for the banned substance Ostarine the day before and the day of his upset victory over Devin Haney on April 20, per a letter sent to both fighters and other parties involved from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.
The original report came from ESPN’s Mike Coppinger.
In a profane rant on X’s Spaces, Garcia denied taking any performance-enhancing drug. In a more controlled response, Garcia posted this slightly more tame video on his X account, echoing his sentiments about the reports of his failed drug tests.
Garcia continued poking fun at the news with additional comments on the subject hours after the information circulated across the sports world.
What is Ostarine?
According to WebMD, “Ostarine is a type of drug called a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM). It’s not approved by the FDA, but is sometimes found in supplements.”
Garcia mentioned the supplement Ashwagandha as a potential culprit in the failed drug test. The impact of Ashwagandha on VADA testing is unclear. However, as long-time combat sports journalist Kevin Iole posted on X, the amounts found in Garcia’s system could shed light on whether or not the levels indicate contamination through a supplement.
“Ostarine attaches to proteins in the body known as androgen receptors,” The WebMD overview continues. “When Ostarine binds to these receptors, it tells muscles to grow. People use Ostarine for athletic performance, involuntary weight loss due to illness, breast cancer, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.”
While a closer examination doesn’t confirm Garcia’s intention to cheat, many will read the description of the drug and immediately draw a connection to Garcia’s failed efforts to make the 140-pound limit for the fight with Haney. Garcia missed weight for the fight by more than three pounds over the contracted limit.
Furthermore, WebMD says, “Ostarine is an investigational drug and therefore not approved for any use by the US FDA. Despite this, it is still sometimes found in dietary supplements, particularly those marketed for bodybuilding. Ostarine, along with other SARMS, is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).”
A fighter, especially one trying to make weight while maintaining muscle, strength, and stamina, might see advantages from taking Ostarine. Lucien Bute tested positive for Ostarine ahead of his majority draw with Badou Jack in April 2016. More recently, Amir Khan tested positive for the drug ahead of his TKO loss to Kell Brook in February 2022.
Does this mean Garcia intentionally cheated? No, but like all college and professional athletes, Garcia is required to know what he takes into his system. Food and especially supplements must be scrutinized to avoid failing drug tests for banned substances.
Haney released a statement following the news shared via ESPN Ringside.
How Often is a B-Sample Different From An A-Sample?
Garcia has ten days to request a B-sample of his testing. B-samples with differing results from the A-sample are rare. In 2006, American track and field star Marion Jones tested positive for Erythropoietin in her A-sample but negative in her B-sample, which led to her being exonerated.
The following year, Jones admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs.
In a report on the Jones story, John Meyer of the Denver Post wrote, “Of the more than 500,000 anti-doping tests conducted by 33 WADA-accredited laboratories around the world in the past three years, there were nearly 9,300 positives among the “A” samples. “B” sample tests contradict the “A” sample tests only two to four times a year, according to WADA statistics.”
Bute’s B-sample was also positive, for reference.
At the very least, the recent findings of Garcia’s drug test complicate the bottom line following one of boxing’s most memorable nights of what’s shaping up to be a banner year for the sport.
