RYAN GARCIA has opened up on his failed drug test to insist: "I know I didn't cheat."
The American star dropped Devin Haney three times on the way to a shock decision victory in April 2024.
But the result was soon overturned when it emerged Garcia tested positive for ostarine - a banned substance known to boost muscle growth.
Garcia protested his innocence but accepted a one-year ban - opposed to fighting it like Britain's Conor Benn.
Benn tested positive for clomiphene - which can boost testosterone - and refused a suspension and instead battled the case.
Eventually, UK Anti-Doping dropped the case against him - allowing him to fight on home soil again in defeat to Chris Eubank Jr.
But Garcia told SunSport: "What did he get out of that? People still think he cheated, so at the end of the day, I know I didn't cheat.
"I'll take the ban for a year and that keeps it moving fast. Everybody knows that I didn't take it.
"I know my team, we know we didn't take anything, so honestly it doesn't really matter to me at the end of the day.
"People are gonna believe whatever they want to believe, they're gonna believe I'm innocent, the large majority do believe that, so who cares?"
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Benn, 28, never shared the evidence that got his case dropped against him, opting to instead keep it confidential.
And Garcia - whose team blamed contaminated supplements for his failed test - has not explained why ostarine was in his system.
He added: "What we did find out is that it was at the lowest amount you could possibly find trace amount.
"So again, it's proven that there was such low dosage in my system that has no effect on my body, so that's just the truth. It is what it is."
Garcia returned clean Voluntary Anti-Doping Association tests in the build-up to his bout with Haney.
And the positive tests for ostarine were taken from tests on the day of and 24 hours before the fight at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
Garcia suffered a public mental health breakdown after his fight with Haney.
He was even arrested last June and charged with one misdemeanour count of vandalism after causing £11,000 worth of damage in an LA hotel room.
But thankfully, Garcia turned it around and has got back on track both mentally and physically.
The boxer now returns against former sparring partner Rolando Romero, 29, on Friday night in a historic event staged outside in Times Square.
I know I didn't cheat. I'll take the ban for a year and that keeps it moving fast. Everybody knows that I didn't take it.
Ryan Garcia on his failed drug test
Haney, 26, is also on the same card against Jose Ramirez, 32, with a rematch planned if both are victorious.
Garcia said: "I think that he has a great chance to beat Ramirez. Ramirez is a little past his prime. So I expect both of us to win, for sure."
Despite Haney regaining his unbeaten record in the aftermath of Garcia's doping scandal - the beatdown still sticks in the memory of fans.
And Garcia goaded: "I have no idea how he's gonna go about himself. I just know that I was in his head the first time.
"It's hard to look past getting dropped three times, I mean, you have to address that within yourself.
"So I don't know how he's gonna handle that."
Garcia decided against heading into an immediate rematch with Haney after his lay-off.
He learned the hard way for mistakes made before his 2023 loss to Gervonta Davis, 30, which came off the back of a nine-month absence.
Garcia said: "I learned my lesson with the Tank fight on not taking a tune-up. You gotta be active.
"I don't think taking a year off and going straight into the Haney fight makes sense for either one of us. A year off is a long time.
"You need to get your timing back, everything back, real fights are much different than sparring, so it's good that we both took a fight, I think."
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