Luckily, Garcia didn’t have to put his toughness on one wheel on display, as it was Barboza who withdrew from the fight due to injury. It wasn’t the greatest news Garcia heard, but he ultimately got an equally respected foe for this Saturday’s UFC Nashville card when perennial featherweight contender Calvin Kattar was slotted alongside him.
“I’m excited,” said Garcia. “He’s ranked, and I’m just here, man. I’m just crawling my way through the division.”
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Thankfully, on two good ankles. As for his willingness to walk into the fire against someone with the weapons to make him pay for his decision, he laughs.
“I don’t think a normal person would understand,” said Garcia. “When you fight somebody like Barboza, you have to almost put yourself in this mental spot where it’s kind of dark. In my head, I was like, every time he goes after my leg, I’ve got to make him pay for it. If it’s super severe, then maybe you should probably just withdraw from the fight. But when it’s something that I’ve gone into fights with before and I can still make the weight and I can still carry on a normal fight night, I’m going to take the fight, regardless of who it is. You just bite down on your mouthpiece and let’s go. That’s my mindset. I could easily make things worse with my ankle, but, at the end of the day, I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to quit. I’m going to keep going until my ankle’s literally dangling off my leg. That’s how I see it.”
