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Steve Garcia is doing everything he can to ensure all of his fights are appointment viewing.
The Jackson-Wink MMA product dispatched Seung Woo Choi via first-round technical knockout in the UFC on ESPN 60 co-main event at the UFC Apex on Saturday nght, his fourth consecutive triumph via KO or TKO. It’s nothing new for “Mean Machine,” who has finished 13 of his 16 career triumphs in that same fashion.
“It’s just another one on my cap. It’s another [notch],” Garcia said at the post-fight press conference. “I’m blessed. I’m just trying to get more. Every single time I come in there, I want you guys to tune in. I want you guys to see Steve Garcia and just be like, ‘This guy’s bringing it, so let’s watch.’”
Garcia entered Saturday’s fight with a lot on his mind, so it was something of a relief to perform the way he did.
“It’s been a great ending to a long camp,” he said. “It’s my brother’s birthday so I got to get a ‘W’ on his birthday. I want to wish him a happy birthday.
“I also have another buddy, and I kind of found this out today, he’s had a battle with cancer and he’s actually losing it right now. He told me as long as I’m fighting, he’s gonna keep fighting. And so we’re pushing together.”
Garcia revealed that he learned of his friend’s condition shortly before he was scheduled to stand across from Choi in the Octagon.
“It happened like two hours before I got on the bus. It kind of hit me hard,” Garcia said. “He’s a police officer in Albuquerque. “He’s honestly just a really good dude. He puts his neck on the line every single time he goes out there in the field. The face that he has cancer and he’s still doing that, those are the real heroes. The police officers, the firefighters. I get to go home (at the end of the day), some of those guys don’t.”
While he may have been fighting with a heavy heart, Garcia was nonetheless pleased to learn that his knockout streak is currently tops within the Las Vegas-based promotion.
“It was a surprise, but man, that’s awesome,” he said. “We’re setting records. How can you not love that?”
For Garcia, that streak is just a byproduct of his typical approach to fighting.
“Not the record but I always have pressure. I always want finishes… That’s how I fight, that’s my style,” he said. “I definitely just bring it every single time. It’s hard to just follow up every single time. You want to win ultimately, but how you win also dictates your future too. So I go out there and leave it out on the line.”
With more success, Garcia will potentially get more of a say in his future. During his post-fight interview, the New Mexican called out Dan Ige, who has been a popular target on the heels of his short-notice appearance at UFC 303.
“I think that would be a fun fight,” Garcia said. “The fans would love that fight. He brings it, I bring it. That’s fireworks in the making. I’m just helping the matchmaker out.
“I think everybody wants to fight at The Sphere, but I’m realistic. I’ll fight wherever.”
While Garcia isn’t picky when it comes to venue, he does believe that he has done enough to earn a step up in competition for his next Octagon appearance.
“If it was up to me, it’d be someone that has a ranking. That’s my next goal, to fight someone that has a ranking next to their name. Because I want a ranking on my name,” he said. “I feel like I’m putting these guys out, I’m not barely squeaking by. And I know everyone in the Top 15 is game. I should be in that mix.”
King, N. (n.d.). #UFCVegas94 video: Steve Garcia drops, then pummels Seungwoo Choi for 96-second TKO. MMA Junkie. https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2024/07/ufc-vegas-94-steve-garcia-vs-seungwoo-choi-tko