Fighters Only

Issue 152

March 2017

As Mike Pyle can testify, the power in the right hand of welterweight Alex Garcia is the stuff of bad dreams.

And as the Octagon closed out 2016 in Las Vegas, the UFC 207 bonus-check winner promised he’s still capable of living up to his incredible promise.

When he first arrived in the UFC in December 2013, Garcia did so in formidable style. A 43-second demolition of Ben Wall suggested the hype surrounding Tristar’s devastating Dominican wasn’t misplaced. Yet since then his Octagon campaign has stuttered.

Wins over Sean Spencer and Mike Swick where off set by losses by decision to Neil Magny and by TKO to Sean Strickland. But Garcia looked every bit a future title contender against veteran Pyle, timing a perfect right-hand counter to score a $50,000 bonus-banking first-round knockout.

Now he’s keen to get back in action and move towards the top of his division.

“I have a lot of injuries, but because of this I was able to train smarter, fight better and relax better,” he said. “I want to get back on a roll. I want competition as much as possible. I’ve been fighting once or twice a year. I want to change that and fight at least four or five times.”

That’s bad news for other fighters if he can land the same big right hand that put ‘Quicksand’ straight to sleep. That’s one-punch power that can’t be taught.

ANTICIPATION

“I saw him come inside with a knee he got me with a knee two times before so this time I moved away and threw my right hand.”