The UFC is coming to Norfolk, Virginia on February 29. Held at the Chartway Arena, UFC Norfolk features a main event set to crown the new flyweight champion, as Joe Benavidez will take on Deiveson Figueiredo. The card also held a lightweight bout between Luis Pena and newcomer Alex Munoz, but Munoz pulled out due to injury. Now stepping in on short notice is another newcomer, Steve Garcia Jr.
Steve “Mean Machine” Garcia Jr.
6’0″
Featherweight
27-years-old
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Jackson Wink MMA
11-3
8 KO/TKOs
How will Garcia Jr. fare in the UFC:
Garcia is fighting at lightweight for the first time, but he’s a big guy standing at 6’0″ so he shouldn’t look any different and may even look better. He’s had problems with his takedown defense in the past but the Jackson-Wink MMA product is improving with time. The tall rangy striker is a dangerous guy with power in his hands. Garcia also has good combinations and some good footwork complimenting his stand-up. He’s already well-tested and very experienced against good competition and let’s not forget he’s only 27-years-old. The sky is the limit as he has a high ceiling.
How Garcia matches up with Pena:
Pena usually has a significant height advantage against his opponents but this time he’s only three inches taller. This is a very interesting style match-up as both are long rangy strikers with a big arsenal. This is a very close fight but it’s one where Garcia edges it out. There’s a good chance this fight will stay on the feet for the most part. Garcia is more accurate, has more power, and a better gas tank. It could go either way but I’m heavily leaning towards Garcia.
