Steve Garcia Is Back For More

I kinda like the image of Garcia in Boba Fett mode, tracking down his peers in the featherweight division, and outside of a hiccup in a 2022 loss to Maheshate, the bounty hunting business has been booming to the tune of five wins in his last six outings, with each coming by knockout. And despite a four-fight winning streak, he hasn’t lost an ounce of the hunger that got him here in the first place. 

“I feel like I still have that chip on my shoulder,” he said. “People are still doubting me. They're just waiting for me to fall. I feel like they're anticipating it, that it's only a matter of time, and I'm here to just prove people wrong. But more than that, I'm trying to prove everybody around me that's supportive right. And that's always been my thing, but I’ve got to make believers out of some of these people that may doubt me.”

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It’s the healthiest attitude that a fighter can have, and reminiscent of another knockout artist with a bit of an accounting background, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell. 

“That makes me feel better about myself,” laughs Garcia when told that “The Iceman” earned a degree in accounting from Cal-Poly. That degree gave Liddell a backup plan if fighting didn’t pan out, and Garcia has his backup plan if his own career doesn’t go where he wants it to go. But neither stepped into the Octagon with the idea that if a win wasn’t the result, it’s okay. In their eyes, winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.

“I have to win,” he said. “I have no choice. If I don't win, my family suffers. That's just how it is. And I know what I signed up for, but if I can go out there and knock every single one of these guys out, I'll take it.”

He’ll also take the bonus checks that have been adding up during the streak, with two in the bank thus far after his finishes of Chase Hooper and SeungWoo Choi. Now he’s looking for another win against Nelson, and not just any win, but one that fight fans, the UFC and the rest of the featherweight division will remember.  

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“I'm just trying to continue to rack up these wins, and it's just not just winning anymore,” Garcia said. “How you win is a big deal. And I'm trying my best to go out there and put on the show for the fans, but I'm trying to do it in a devastating fashion. I'm trying to be undeniable here. I want people to know I’m the real deal. I'm one of the best guys on the planet at 145 pounds, and over the last four fights, I've been able to show you that I can put anybody out that stands across from me. And these are the best guys in the world that are across from me; I believe that I'm just better. And I'm not trying to sound cocky; I'm just very confident and I've been put in a position to prove myself. I'm blessed, man. There's not a ton more to say about it. I've arrived.”