Glendale — Lightweight Rafa Garcia, a former Combate champ, returns to Noche UFC for the second straight year this Saturday, where he takes on Chinese standout Zhu Rong.
Garcia (18-4), 32, has been finding considerable success of late, stacking together three straight victories, and winning five of his last six fights.
“I feel like I’m fighting the best that I’m fighting right now, and I mean I feel like there’s so much more to see,” Garcia told Cageside Press during the Noche UFC media day on Wednesday.
It’s all part of the maturation process, as Garcia explained that “I’ve matured a lot in my career as a fighter, just taking things even more serious. I mean, I’ve always taken things serious, but the way I’m taking things right now, I’m staying in shape out of camp, I’m staying training and just being very smart about everything.”
“Once I turned 30, I was like ‘the clock is ticking,’ so I’ve got to go out there and do my thing,” Garcia added. “I’m not old, but I’m not young either. If I want to be world champion, I’ve got to do it soon.”
A sense of urgency, he agreed. “Yeah, yeah. For sure.”
As to the match-up with Zhu, “I like it. I feel like he’s young, he’s very dangerous. I know he’s gonna come in there and try to bang with me,” Garcia noted. “But I’m going to fight smart, I’m going to get the win.”
And should the fight become another three-round war, something Garcia has experienced more than once, it suits him just fine.
“I love war. That’s why I come in here. I love it.”
Watch the full Noche UFC media day appearance by Rafa Garcia above.