ESPN's report revealed that Ryan Garcia had tested positive for ostarine, a banned substance classified as a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), both on the day before and the day of his fight.
Garcia vehemently denied using any prohibited substances, asserting that he has "never taken a steroid in my life" and doesn't "even know where to get steroids."
Despite its muscle growth-stimulating properties, ostarine is not a steroid. Garcia clarified his stance, saying, "At the end of the day, I barely take supplements," during an interview on X.
Conor McGregor, however, remains unconvinced and has called for Garcia to face punishment. McGregor expressed his skepticism in a now-deleted post on X, formerly Twitter, stating, "Cheated the weight and was juiced, lifetime ban. Sad to see, sad to say. Sad and a bit sick. Don't come near me if I see you ever Ryan Garcia.
I am actually disgusted." McGregor had previously shown support for Garcia in his locker room following Garcia's loss to Gervonta "Tank" Davis last year, but it appears that support has now waned.
The test results confirming Garcia's positive drug test were only revealed after the fight, ESPN reported. If the positive test is upheld, Garcia's victory could be overturned.
Despite the controversy, Garcia managed to knock down Haney three times during the fight, handing the WBC super lightweight champion his first loss.
However, the build-up to the fight was marred by an altercation between the two fighters at a press event at the Empire State Building days earlier. The altercation led to the apparent cancellation of their plan to throw out the first pitch at a New York Mets game that same night.