MMA: Garcia wants a KO, will take a win in any form
Albuquerque鈥檚 Steve Garcia, here celebrating a victory in a previous fight, is scheduled to face veteran Calvin Kattar Saturday on a UFC Fight Night card in Nashville, Tenn.
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How much respect does Calvin Kattar command in UFC circles?
Consider that the 37-year-old Kattar has lost his last four fights and five of his last six 鈥� and yet is ranked 14th among UFC featherweights. Kattar actually moved up a spot in the most recent rankings, despite not having fought since February.
In terms of toughness and durability, Kattar has few equals. In 32 pro MMA fights, he鈥檚 never been knocked out 鈥� stopped short of the distance in his 14 UFC fights only once, due to an injury.
An item that appeared on Reddit in October ranked Kattar as the third most durable fighter in the UFC ranks, having taken 754 head strikes without so much as being knocked down.
So, what does all that mean for Albuquerque鈥檚 Steve Garcia, a dynamic striker who鈥檚 scheduled to face Kattar on a UFC Fight Night card Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee?
Maybe, just maybe, a victory over Kattar will do for Garcia what his streak of five victories by knockout has not 鈥� put 鈥淭he Mean Machine鈥� into the rankings.
鈥淵es, I believe that,鈥� Garcia said on Wednesday by phone from Nashville.
Garcia also believes in the power of his two fists, which have KO鈥檇, in succession, Chase Hooper, Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, Melquizel Costa, Seung Woo Choi and Kyle Nelson. He steadfastly believes he can become the first person to take Kattar out and make it six KOs in a row.
鈥淭his dude is super durable,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淏ut I believe I pack the punch that will put him down. I do believe that, and I think I can get it done. I have to believe that I can.鈥�
That said, Garcia鈥檚 focus has to be extending his win streak 鈥� not extending the KO streak.
鈥淢y coaches always tell me, don鈥檛 get emotional to (one particular) way to win,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust make sure that you win. So that鈥檚 what my mindset is.鈥�
Toward that end, Garcia has trained at Albuquerque鈥檚 Jackson-Wink MMA to improve his game from top to bottom.
鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to be as well-rounded as possible,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to be as comfortable on the floor as I am on the feet.
鈥溾�� I want to be able to dictate where this fight goes, no matter what, no matter where we end up.鈥�
Garcia last fought on Sept. 7, when he stopped Nelson (punches and elbows) in 3:59 of the first round. A scheduled bout in February fell through when prospective opponent Edson Barboza withdrew due to an injury.
For a full-time MMA fighter 鈥� Garcia no longer has a day job 鈥� 10 months without a fight is not ideal. But, thanks in part to UFC Performance of the Night bonuses he earned for the Hooper, Woo Choi and Nelson fights, Garcia could afford to be patient.
He rejected fights against fighters who offered little potential for advancement; other fighters declined to fight him.
鈥淭hese past 10 months,鈥� he said, 鈥淚鈥檝e been working on my craft. Getting better, trying to fill those holes in my game. Playing some golf, spending time with my family.鈥�
His MMA family will be well-represented in Nashville: Garcia鈥檚 father, Steve Sr., will be joined in his son鈥檚 corner by Jackson-Wink co-founders Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, plus Garcia鈥檚 friend and teammate Diego Brand茫o.
Their message to him, and his to Kattar: 鈥淢y goal is to be violent. 鈥� They pay me to be as violent as possible.鈥�
That attitude and those fists, one day, might earn for Garcia the kind of respect in the sport that Kattar has earned.
And, perhaps, beyond.
While Garcia鈥檚 five-KO streak hasn鈥檛 gotten him ranked, the entertainment value he provides has made him a regular participant on UFC main cards.
A prelim fighter in his first six UFC fights, he鈥檒l be fighting on the main card Saturday for the third straight time. The Garcia-Woo Choi fight was a co-main event on a UFC Fight Night card at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
