Star boxer Ryan Garcia’s B-sample tested positive for a banned substance ostarine on Thursday, per a Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory report.
The A-sample, which was collected the day before and the day of his upset win over Devin Haney last month, returned an adverse finding for ostarine May 1.
Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that attaches to proteins in the body and effectively signals for muscles to grow.
It is used to aid performance by helping athletes build muscle mass and enhance their rate of fat loss, as well as to increase stamina and recovery ability.
“I don’t know where [the adverse finding] came from,” Garcia told ESPN on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, hours before he was ringside for Oleksandr Usyk’s heavyweight title win over Tyson Fury.
“Honestly, bro, I don’t. I was taking ashwagandha, D-3, Omega-3, just normal s—. I don’t know what the f— [ostarine] is. … I have seriously no idea. I would tell everybody the truth.
“My whole thing is I’d rather tell the truth than try to fabricate it with a lie. Because lies don’t stand. So if I really did take it, I would be like, honestly, I was going through a weird situation. I wasn’t really that confident. I chose to take it. I’m sorry. And that’s it. But I didn’t and I hate cheating. … All I can say is legal team, help me figure this out.”
The commission issued a statement Thursday saying the matter is still under review.
“The Commission strictly prohibits the use of performance-enhancing drugs and works vigorously to uphold the integrity of the sport and maintain a level playing field,” the statement said. “Where violations are found, the Commission will take action.”
Ostarine has been used in boxing before. Lucian Bute tested positive for it in 2016 following a draw with Badou Jack in their WBC super middleweight title fight.
