Steve Garcia Returns to Sparring Weeks After 4-Year Streak Ended at UFC White House
Updated
Updated · boxingnews.com · Jul 26
Steve Garcia Returns to Sparring Weeks After 4-Year Streak Ended at UFC White House
3 articles · Updated · boxingnews.com · Jul 26
Summary
This week, Steve Garcia said he is returning to sparring after his June knockout loss to Diego Lopes at UFC White House ended a four-year unbeaten run.
Garcia said the fight unraveled in Round 2 when he abandoned his technical plan, traded shots, landed off balance after a forearm and was dropped before the finish came seconds later.
Back home in New Mexico, Garcia said his young son cried after learning he had lost for the first time, a moment he called heartbreaking and used to frame his push to “try again.”
Weather delays and Greg Jackson’s absence also disrupted Garcia’s preparation, though he noted Lopes faced the same start-stop conditions as the opening bout.
Garcia said the loss gave him a taste of the featherweight elite and sharpened his aim to climb back into contention.