Steve Garcia does his best to make all his matches unmissable.
The Jackson-Wink MMA alum earned his fourth consecutive victory by knockout or TKO on Saturday night, defeating Choi Seung-Woo by first-round technical knockout in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 60 at the UFC Apex. This is nothing new for “The Mean Machine,” who has ended 13 of his previous 16 victories in the same manner.
“This is just another hat in my hat. [notch]”I’ve been blessed. I’m just trying to get better. Every time I go out there, I want people to watch. I want people to see Steve Garcia and think, ‘This guy is amazing. I’m going to watch him,'” Garcia said in the post-fight press conference.
Garcia had a lot on his mind going into Saturday’s match, so it was a relief to put in that performance.
“It was a great way to end a long camp,” he said. “Today is my brother’s birthday, so I got to get him a ‘W’ on his birthday. Happy birthday.”
“I have another friend, who I found out about today, who is battling cancer and is really at his breaking point. He told me that as long as I’m fighting, he’ll keep fighting, so we’re in it together.”
UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad airs Saturday at 10 pm ET on ESPN+. Order yours now! Garcia said he learned of his friend’s condition just before he was set to face Choi in the Octagon.
“It happened two hours before I got on the bus. It was pretty devastating,” Garcia said. “He’s an Albuquerque police officer. Honestly, he’s a really good guy. He puts his life on the line every time he goes out there. He continues to do that even though he has cancer. Those are the real heroes. Those are the police officers and the firefighters. I get to go home (at the end of the day), some of them don’t.”
Garcia may have been coming into the fight with a heavy heart, but he was still pleased to know he now leads the knockout record within the Las Vegas-based organization.
“It was a surprise, but it’s amazing,” he said. “I’m breaking records. How can you not be happy about that?”
For Garcia, the winning streak is simply a byproduct of his typical fighting style.
“I’m always under pressure, even if it’s not a record. I always want the finish. That’s the way I fight, my style,” he said. “I just give it my all every time. It’s hard to just keep doing it every time. Ultimately I want to win, but how I win also determines my future. So I’m going to fight and give it my all.”
With more success, Garcia will likely have more of a say in his future, and in his post-fight interview, the New Mexico native named Dan Ige, who has become a popular target since his surprise appearance at UFC 303.
“I think it’s going to be a fun fight,” Garcia said. “The fans are going to love it. He’s going to do it, I’m going to do it. It’s going to be fireworks. I’m just helping make the match.”
“I think everyone wants to fight at the Sphere, but I’m realistic. I’ll fight anywhere.”
Garcia isn’t picky about the venue, but believes he’s done enough to improve his competitiveness for his next appearance in the Octagon.
“If it were up to me, I would fight a ranked guy. That’s my next goal, to fight a guy with a ranking next to his name because I want to have a ranking next to my name,” he said. “I feel like I’m dominating them. I’m not a guy that’s going to win by a hair’s breadth. I know all the guys in the top 15 are fighting for their money and I should be in that league.”
