Ahead of his first title defense as a welterweight champion, some unofficial reports suggest Ryan Garcia might take half of the suggested $30 million purse. If true, that’s roughly $5 million less than what he earned fighting Mario Barrios for the title back in February.

Yet, despite that imbalance and the outcome, even if he loses his title to Conor Benn this weekend, Garcia will continue his run as one of the wealthiest boxers in the world. Admittedly, that journey hasn’t been easy. In a recent appearance on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored, Garcia revealed how he nearly squandered a significant portion of his $50 million fortune on a costly addition.

“You know, I used to gamble a lot,” he said. “That’s what I think—that’s probably my worst regret. I used to gamble a lot.”

When Morgan pressed about the figure that he might have lost through the addiction, Garcia suggested somewhere around “$2 million.”

Taken together, those comments point to a history that saw Ryan Garcia splurge money at the poker tables, along with highly publicized multi-million dollar wagers on his own bouts and casual high-stakes bets with fellow athletes.

The issue could be traced back to the years preceding the showdown with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. Reports from the period 2021-2022 indicated that Garcia was spending nights at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. Seemingly, he lost control over his spending.

If his risk-taking behavior could be tied to gambling, then his agreeing to Tank’s rehydration clause with a weight cap for the title bout could be considered another example.

Perhaps the clearest instance of Garcia’s gambling becoming evident was the 2024 Devin Haney fight. From the reported $1.5 million he lost after a side bet with Haney over the weight limit, Garcia later surprised everyone by revealing the $2 million he bet on himself to win.

In the fight, the bet earned him a massive $10 million profit, taking his total earnings from the fight to $12 million outside his purse.

More recently, Garcia wagered $40,000 with UFC lightweight star Arman Tsarukyan. The bet involved Garcia knocking down the Armenian’s team member with a single body shot. However, Garcia failed to secure the knockdown, resulting in a much-publicized back-and-forth with Tsarukyan.

With the Soccer World Cup at its peak, Garcia, who has often expressed his pride in his Mexican heritage, was reported to have entered a $100,000 wager with Queensberry Promotions’ Frank Warren for Mexico to defeat England during the round of 16. After England defeated Mexico in one of the World Cup’s biggest wins, the welterweight champion was left to absorb the loss.

In boxing, there is no universal rule that “bans” fighters from betting on themselves. Though commissions or contracts may put restrictions on prop bets, betting on opponents, or betting against oneself.

Ryan Garcia: His gambling and behavior remain under the spotlight

In that context, Garcia’s problem goes much deeper. It is often tied to his erratic behavior, which is now well known.

Back in 2024, after he was handed a one-year suspension by the athletic commission for testing positive in pre-fight doping tests for the Haney fight, Garcia found himself under scrutiny following a poker session that involved names including soccer star Neymar, boxer Chris Eubank Jr., and basketball player Jimmy Butler.

Coming off a major setback that put his career in question, Garcia’s display of such antics amplified concerns among fans.

Adding to the problems that unfolded in his personal life when he parted ways with his wife, Andrea Celina, leading to settlements that involved him paying a substantial sum for living and custody expenses, one is left wondering how Garcia came through the situation unscathed.

Ryan Garcia, meanwhile, is not the only fighter or champion to have faced these issues.

One of the most well-known examples includes Floyd Mayweather’s weather. The undefeated former champion has long been one of boxing’s most prominent high-stakes sports bettors, regularly putting substantial sums on NFL, NBA, and college games.

A more recent case involves Dave Allen. The British heavyweight, whose recent appearance in Dublin ended in the most bizarre fashion, has been unusually candid about the damage gambling caused in his life and boxing career. The problem became so serious that it was reported Allen once took a short-notice fight against Luis Ortiz (December 10, 2016), because he needed the money.

Viewed in that context, Garcia, as he told Piers Morgan, seems to have gained some control over his addiction.

Considering the risks involved in boxing, where fighters are often left penniless, Garcia, now backed by a team that has a lot of experience in this area, is able to manage his wealth more responsibly.