Mario Barrios doesn’t hide who he is. You see it in his ring name, ‘El Azteca,’ and you see it on his skin long before the bell rings. As the WBC welterweight champion lines up Ryan Garcia on February 21, at T-Mobile Arena, cameras will linger on the details: the ink across his neck, the art on his arms, the symbols tied to where he comes from.
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Why lean so hard into Aztec imagery? And what do the other tattoos say about the person behind the belt? Let’s walk through the pieces you can actually see on fight night. Starting with the most striking canvas: his neck.
All we know about Mario Barrios’s neck tattoos
Barrios has two large tattoos on his neck, both pulled directly from Aztec history and mythology. One features a symbol of the Jaguar Warrior, the elite fighting force of the Aztecs, known for strength, discipline, and status earned through battle. The other depicts Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec god of death and ruler of the underworld, Mictlān.
These aren’t random choices. Barrios has spoken openly about how early he connected with his roots.
“Even when I was a kid, I was intrigued by my heritage, my culture,” he once shared in an interview. “I remember when I was in elementary school. I was reading books on the Aztec Empire, the civilization, and the indigenous people in America. That’s my background, and I’m proud of it. I want to represent my people, represent my city.”
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The Jaguar Warrior fits a fighter who built his name on pressure and grit. Mictlantecuhtli, tied to death and the underworld, carries heavier symbolism. In combat sports, where careers are shaped by narrow margins, that imagery reads less like shock value and more like a nod to mortality and consequence. Those neck pieces set the tone. But they aren’t the only ink that shapes Mario Barrios’ visual identity.
Other ink on Mario Barrios’s body
One of Barrios’ most personal tattoos sits on his arm: a portrait of what appears to be his husky dog. Fighters often mark family, faith, or pets on their skin. It’s a small, grounded counterweight to the gods and warriors on his neck.
On his right arm, Barrios also sports a Misfits tattoo, a nod to the punk band. Beyond that, Barrios has additional designs across both thighs and on his forearms. Some of these appear Aztec-inspired, though not every piece has been publicly explained.
As Barrios heads into the Ryan Garcia fight, the spotlight will stay on what happens in the ring and the belt on the line. But the ink tells you how he frames the moment as a tribute to his background and origins.