Tag: Steve Garcia Jr.

Steve Garcia replaces Alex Munoz, takes on Luis Pena at UFC on ESPN+ 27

On days’ notice, Steve Garcia has stepped in to take on Luis Pena at UFC on ESPN+ 27 after Alex Munoz withdrew due to injury.

[autotag]Luis Pena[/autotag] won’t be facing Alex Munoz at UFC on ESPN+ 27.

Luckily for “Violent Bob Ross,” a UFC newcomer has stepped up and accepted the lightweight fight in Norfolk, Va. On days’ notice, [autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag] has stepped in to take on Pena (7-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC), after Munoz withdrew Friday due to injury.

Two persons with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the matchup Monday, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

UFC on ESPN+ 27 takes place Saturday at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va. The card streams on ESPN+.

On the most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series, Garcia (11-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) accepted a bantamweight fight, but missed the mark on the scale. He won the fight by TKO, but was not signed due to his weight cut mishap. Since that time, Garcia moved to featherweight and defeated Jose Mariscal by second-round TKO at LFA 80.

With the change, the current UFC on ESPN+ 27 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo – for vacant flyweight title
  • Zarah Fairn vs. Felicia Spencer
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba
  • Megan Anderson vs. Norma Dumont
  • Grant Dawson vs. Darrick Minner
  • Kyler Phillips vs. Gabriel Silva

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET)

  • Brendan Allen vs. Tom Breese
  • Steve Garcia vs. Luis Pena
  • Serghei Spivac vs. Marcin Tybura
  • TJ Brown vs. Jordan Griffin
  • Spike Carlyle vs. Aalon Cruz
  • Sean Brady vs. Ismail Naurdiev

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On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make MMA big leagues with January wins

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves.

Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, but few will succeed.

This November, five fighters on the verge of achieving major-promotion notoriety return to the cage for what could be their stepping stone fights. There are dozens of fighters inches away from making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.

This month:

  • One of the top middleweights in Canada tries to catch the attention of major promotion matchmakers once again when he travels across the border to take on a fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus.
  • Deemed “The Future” by teammates and coaches, a highly-touted JacksonWink MMA product will take his biggest fight to date in his LFA return.
  • Already on the UFC’s radar, a JacksonWink MMA bantamweight makes the shift up to 145 pounds after a failed weight cut on DWCS.
  • A Canadian welterweight finisher takes on arguably his toughest test to date with the hope of punching his ticket to the big show.
  • A 20-fight veteran who has cleared house on the regional scene hopes an LFA headline victory finally will earn him the call he’s long sought after.

Scroll through the following pages to see the five fighters who this month find themselves on the doorstep:

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