The 50-week gap between his last two fights doesn’t look so bad in retrospect for Mikey Garcia.

Having to wait nearly a full year to return to the ring wasn’t the most desirable scenario for the former four-division titlist, but he still pushed through with a competitive but clear 12-round decision over Jessie Vargas. Their welterweight bout took place this past February, his first piece of ring action since a lopsided loss to Errol Spence in a failed bid to become a five-division champ last March.

It also served as one of the last major fights to take place anywhere in the world, with the industry all but shut down since mid-March in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“I’m real fortunate to have been able to fight right before the whole crisis,” Garcia (40-1, 30KOs) acknowledged to promoter Eddie Hearn during an Instagram Live interview on Friday. “It’s really hard for the other fighters with all these fights getting moved or postponed.”

It was a big step forward for Garcia, who is on the very small side of most welterweights but who picked up his first win at the weight class. The feat came against a filled-out, former two-division titlist whose previously fought close to the junior middleweight limit. Vargas (29-2-2, 11KOs) weighed right at the 147-pound mark, more than a full pound heavier than Garcia for their DAZN-streamed headliner.

“He came to win, he was probably the best Jessie Vargas of his career,” insists Garcia. “Even though he had a size advantage and reach advantage, I was able to overcome that and was able to win.

“I want to prove I can do that against other welterweights.”

By remaining in shape and continuing to map out his future during the downtime, the availability of a second fight in 2020 will put Garcia in a better place than most. With that will come his best shot at hitting the jackpot in a fifth weight division.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox