Zuffa Boxing
Eridson Garcia Wants To Lay Down A Marker In Zuffa Boxing
Dominican Lightweight Contender Is Planning To Make A Statement In The Main Event Of Zuffa Boxing 05
Dominican lightweight contender Eridson Garcia has arrived in Las Vegas looking to put things right and steal a march on his rivals in the race for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing lightweight title.
Lightweights take center stage at Meta APEX on Sunday night, as Garcia takes on undefeated Andres Cortes in the main event of Zuffa Boxing. It’s an opportunity for Garcia to make a big statement by handing an undefeated contender his first defeat and forcing himself to the front of the queue for a 135-pound title shot in the process.
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“I’m excited. I feel good. I have a lot of energy. I'm ready to go,” Garcia told UFC.com ahead of his bout in Las Vegas.
Garcia arrives in Zuffa Boxing with a 23-1 record that includes 14 knockouts. The southpaw counterpuncher, who got stuck in Houston during the COVID-19 pandemic and opted to stay there, is riding a six-fight win streak, and most recently defeated previously undefeated Japanese prospect Taiga Imanaga via split decision at a Riyadh Season show in December.
That win could potentially have been a more comfortable one had Garcia not fought with nerve damage to his left hand on the night.
He revealed after the fight that he had a nerve out of place in one of his fingers. Against his doctor’s advice, Garcia opted to continue with the fight, and the risk paid off, as he claimed the victory that ultimately led to him being signed by Zuffa Boxing.
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“I’m very grateful to be here,” said the 31-year-old.
“I’m very happy that Zuffa picked me up. I'm grateful for my team. I'm ready to go.
“I’m here to show my skills, here to show what I'm about, and here to show the crowd a good time.”
🇩🇴 Eridson Garcia is promising YOU lots of action come APR 5 🥊
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 13, 2026
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Garcia heads to the “Fight Capital of the World” for the first time in his career as he takes on undefeated Cortes in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 05 at Meta APEX.
It’s a matchup between two seasoned professionals with impressive records, and one that, along with a similarly competitive co-main event between Mark Magsayo and Feargal McCrory, should lay down a marker for Zuffa Boxing’s lightweight division.
Garcia sees it as an early opportunity to stake a claim for a shot at a Zuffa Boxing belt as he looks to hit the ground running on his promotional debut.
“First and foremost, (I want) to pass my first test against Andres Cortes this Sunday and, most importantly, throughout the year, hopefully get a chance to fight for a belt.”
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This weekend’s main event showcase with Cortes offers Garcia a second chance to make a good impression on boxing fans in the United States. His first, and so far only, main event televised on U.S. television saw him knocked out in the first round by Jordan White back in 2023.
Garcia sees that fight as an aberration, with the Dominican putting the loss down to being drained and suffering from dehydration on fight night. It remains his only career defeat, and one that has spurred him on to an impressive run of form since.
Now he returns to the main event spotlight – this time on a global streaming platform on Paramount+ – as he takes on Cortes in a fight where he intends to showcase his true self on the biggest stage of his career.
”This week, I want to show my talents to all the people, to show everyone that I deserve to be here, and to give everyone a good show,” he said.
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“I’m here to show everyone that I'm one of the best in the ring. My talents are great, and I'm here to showcase my talents to everyone in Zuffa.“
Judging by his responses, it feels like Garcia is all business as he prepares for his Zuffa Boxing debut. It’s an opportunity to make a big first impression on his promotional debut, and he’s locked in and ready to deliver in Sunday night’s main event.
He described his plan for fight night in a typically matter-of-fact manner.
“To basically demonstrate my talents and to show everyone that I belong here and to let everyone know that I'm here to stay,” he stated.
“I’m the champ, and my talents are going to show that on Sunday.”
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