UFC Fighter Steve Garcia Interview talking about life outside of fighting and UFC Vegas 97 matchup!

I'll go out on my shield if I have to sometimes you know what I mean I just don't want it to be left in someone else's hands especially them because you know I feel like taking this fight was kind of like almost like not super necessary but I did it because one it's another fight right away I'm in shape weight's low everything's good uh yeah man it just I like I said I'm not I'm not too picky I just want to go out there and do my job but what I can guarantee you is I'm going to give it every bit I have uh in me to go out there and perform for you guys and um I hope you guys understand that you know this is this is a sport but let's go out there and let's freaking go [Music] man all right guys this is crazy Kev here and I'm here with UFC fighter Steve Garcia Steve how we doing I'm doing good man thanks for having on the show appreciate it yeah man no worries and uh super glad you're back on once again and uh Steve man you also got a fight coming up talk us a little bit more about that matchup as well yeah man we're fighting Kyle Nelson September 7th yeah I think that's the date um yeah man I you got you got a guy that's uh you know on a three-fight win streak you you know myself on a four- fight win streak so someone's someone streaks got a break and uh yeah man should be should be exciting for for fans really yeah no I definitely think all the fans are going to be looking forward to this one now uh with you getting another big knockout though I mean is that knockout streaking in your head at all that like you need to get another big finish in this matchup I mean very slightly but it's mainly because I put that pressure on myself every single time I go in there like I hate leaving in the judge's hands just because there's so many like shoty calls out there that I'm just like no I'm not gonna if I can avoid it I'm going to avoid it you know what I mean and on top of that like I'll go out on my shield if I have to sometimes you know what I mean I just don't want it to be left in someone else's hands especially them because i' I've had some some calls on my fights before and I'm just like man dude if I can if I can avoid that you know what I mean if I can you know take anything into my own hands I'm going to and um yeah man I feel like I just always put that pressure on myself to to go out there and you know get a finish in right no 100% that makes sense and uh what was it like to kind of get that call I mean what do you kind of think of the matchup as well too yeah man I'm I'm good with the matchup I think it's pretty cool like I wish it was like a little bit later cuz I had to uh cancel one of my vacations it was literally that weekend uh where I was planning to just disappear for you know four or five days but uh it is what it is man it's all good when opportunity knocks you know you just open the door and you walk through it and um yeah bro I just uh I really I think I really saw this matchup as it would benefit me uh my coaches really uh agreed to and just wanted to make sure I was like good to go especially after that last fight I know was pretty quick but people don't know what we go through during fight camp and stuff so uh you know making sure that I I I was good to go you know what I mean and I feel good and uh we're going so you know September 7th's ahead of us yeah no that that's definitely uh gonna be an awesome fight 100% man and uh you know an opponent uh I definitely think would be a fun match up for you in the future would be like Nate Nate the train I mean what do you think about that matchup in the future maybe after Kyle Nelson Nate Lander yes he is he ranked or no I I think he's either right on the cusp if he's not ranked yeah man honestly I've been calling that guy out for like the last three fights guy doesn't want to fight so I don't know um because I've I've just like you I wanted that matchup it wouldn't give it to me so I'm I'm trying to just like have a ranking on my name you know what I mean at this point I just got to keep knocking him out and um you know if he me and him are you know fighting for that ranking is sure but it kind of sucks the way that it is because I think that um you know obviously to get ranked you got to fight someone ranked if he's not ranked then um you know I feel like taking this fight was kind of like almost like not super necessary but I did it because one it's another fight right away I'm in shape weight's low everything's good feel strong had a good strong performance um you know and I I think I don't know I think Kyle Nelson's 20 I think or something like that so that that kind of helps a little bit but I want that top 15 I want that number by my name yeah no I definitely think a number would be important man and uh what about uh Dan eay I I mean if you get a win I mean are you looking to maybe get him maybe another call out absolutely I mean he's the one not not accepting these calls man I they're trying to elevate the game I'm trying to elevate my game I don't know if they're ducking or if they're just trying to advance their stuff but at the end of the day I I have zero control over that you know what I mean and um at this point you know he he wants something else I thought I thought we were going to be able to possibly make this happen uh I think he's match up with uh Leon Leon Murphy I think um but yeah man whatever happens with him he's still ranked you know if he wants to squash it you know not say squash it we don't beef but just like if he wants to answer the the call out um you know maybe January something like that you know if anything because I know I think his is October I'm not sure yeah I I could definitely use a little break after this fight so um you know I'd be I'd probably be down to you know scrap with him in a January type of thing yeah no I definitely think January would be a fun day for you if all things work out and uh speaking of col I mean when are you going to have DC have that golf match again I don't know man uh we we talked a little bit afterwards he says nice to have you coming to town you know me and gatei we we'll get round in and so you know maybe just one of these days I gotta you know go to Vegas you know other than just you know for a fight week or whatever but you know the PA is there we go down there a couple times a year so uh I'm sure we can figure it out yeah no that'll definitely be awesome and uh you know how close are you with DC do you happen to talk to him as well too before your fights not a ton man not a ton uh we do like uh commentary meetings and stuff like that so we'll kind of go back and forth and we'll have uh discussions you know um within that meeting and stuff but yeah not not crazy close or anything like that I just noticed how how um active he is in in golf and I'm very active in golf and I'm not like spectacular or anything like that I just I love the game uh you know it just it's something that like I feel like is my outlet from from MMA I don't have to get punch in the face and I can still be competitive in a c certain way and I feel like it actually helps me because uh fighting uh yeah fighting is very mental and uh so is golf golf is very mental you get a bad shot you know you can have consecutive bad shots and stuff like that but every shot matters uh the next one so I I think that like it's it keeps you focused it keeps you like still likeing that uh that mindset that like it's all right that one wasn't good we're going to you know we're going to hit this next shot and uh it's going to get me back on track you know what I mean and I feel like there's some correlation there you know maybe just me trying to make up things but that's how I feel yeah no that that definitely makes sense man 100% and uh when it comes to the media and stuff like when you get a big win I mean when it comes to the media like after the fight like what what kind of like interviews do you have to do when it comes to like after the fight and then like I guess like after the UFC show as well too that kind of stuff yeah man just like after the fight like they they have a whole media especially at the pi they just have like this whole media uh obligation that you do and it's about an probably about an hour after the the fight and you know you do the pictures you do the poses and then you do um group P pictures and then you go to you know multiple different um interview places and uh this last one we went on to the UFC postf fight show Rashad and and all them and um so yeah man it just it's it's just it's just how it is and then after that then you know you go back to the hotel do think come home and then everybody's hitting you up and they want to have more interviews so um yeah man it's hard to get around to everybody because everybody wants to talk to you and there's only one of me but I try to I try to accommodate as much as I can yeah no fair enough that makes sense when it comes to the hotels I mean what is it like to kind of uh spend the night in like the in like the fighter hotels and whatnot uh it depends it depends it it's changed you know several times uh I've had some really really bad ones and I've had some really cool ones um during Co was probably one of the cooler ones we had a we had like a whole hotel I think it was like a uh it was like a almost like a days in type of Suite like like a long-term stay in and we had I had three rooms in a sense like I had my room uh and it was attached to like another room for like a coach and stuff and then I had um I had like my own workout room because I trying to keep everybody like separate uh and had its own basketball court like downstairs I thought that was like super cool um so that was like fun and then like uh let's see last year they you know they had a state like in New York New York um in Vegas and that's always cool because you know when you're on the Strip you know it's the energy is always kind of fun um and then like for me I all walk down the uh down the strip just to kind of burn some calories you know you almost like burning C without even thinking about it it's it's hot you know so um yeah that type of thing and then um this last time I think they we had we were at the pal station so uh we were there and I kind of like that place man it's cool it is off the strip it's like not on the Strip but it's um uh there's a lot to do there so like it has everything uh that you need and then uh even has like a movie theater in there so like one of the one of the nights like I went in and just watched a movie um so it's kind of cool you know every every experience is different um I went to like one that was like it was like a holiday in and man the rooms were like pretty Compact and uh it was just kind of hard to to do your thing so it just it just depends man like it just it is what it is and and I have a job to do regardless on what room I'm in or where I'm staying at you know staying out of the out of even you know different different places like in Austin and all these places they they have awesome stuff so uh yeah man it just like I said I'm not I'm not too picky I just want to go out there and do my job yeah no that definitely makes sense but that that's definitely some interesting things when it comes to the fighter hotel and uh another thing I was curious about you mentioned uh when it comes to uh the fighter bonuses it takes about like two months for them to actually come in I mean well what's kind of the holdup with that how come it takes about two months to maybe get the check I'm not 100% sure but I think they just want to make sure that like your tests like come back you know solid uh because we we we always get um uh tested uh either by the commission or by it's not usada it's like drug-free something like a new one um but yeah we're just constantly tested all the time so um I just want I think they just wanted to make sure that like everything was good and then they sent it off so I don't know why it takes that long but you know I I'm not the one signing the check so I just I wait for it that's it yeah no fair enough that makes sense I definitely thought that was an interesting thing though I heard you say um but another thing I was curious about too uh when you have like the the weigh-ins and like the star down I mean what kind of goes through your head uh when you kind of have the star down that's a well I mean there's people that like encounter each other beforehand but for me that is like the the first form of energy that I can get from you um I normally like don't get me wrong like it depends on who it is too you know you'll get these like nerves and and you feel this out but it's it's you always get nerves because of the unknown if you knew what was going on you probably wouldn't be as nervous um but when we when we have these phas offs you know what I mean I can really look into their eyes or if they don't want to look in their eyes I can feel you know their their their body language I can read it and I can they can feel mine and um you know sometimes you know I'll go in there and right off the gate I'm like I got him I got him and then some days I'm like oh shoot this guy's gonna bring it this got this is this is going to be this is going to be a rough one right here and uh yeah you just you you you kind of feel off of you know you feel off each other's energy and um that's really the first encounter and then uh you know obviously you step in that cage and then you're like all right man we're here and there's no point of return let's go let's go get it you know yeah no that definitely makes sense and uh yeah I'm looking forward to you going getting it man and uh you know you mentioned too that you just signed your new uh four fight deal with UFC I mean what's it kind of like to uh kind of get the uh new contract it's nice man you almost got a little bit more job security so that's good uh you know I think as long as you win you can always continue to uh financially benefit from those and um you know it just you know they're not getting rid of me yet so I'm I'm hanging around I'm you know I'm that guy they might not be able to get away too easily yeah no that's right you better not man I mean like I said you're definitely on a big winning streak and uh you definitely been exciting to watch and uh yeah man when it comes to uh you know the UFC I mean uh with this fight I mean obviously being short notice I mean uh with your next fight I mean would you maybe uh I mean have like a better location on maybe on where You' want to fight in the future I want a crowd like I want a crowd like I fought bought a couple crowds already but man the energy is always different with people that are around you in their energy man it's just uh we do this a lot mainly for them too we're entertainers you know what I mean and some of us you know do it in several different ways my way is to go out there and step in a cage in front of a lot of people and throw hands man let those chingasos fly and freaking just throw down bro like that's how I that's how I do it um and it's nice to have a crowd cheering and Bor in and and you know it's something great and when you win you know it just it's it's that much better because you have roaring arena is just it's super cool man yeah no it definitely seems like it's super cool man and uh when it comes to like when you're training I mean what's kind of strength and conditioning like kind of get these Knockouts and finishes man uh I think there's two- part to that I feel like everybody's kind of given like these god-given abilities uh that they that they get that they have and is very natural to them but I really do build off of you know I have a regiment that I hit for you know my hands and for my my legs and stuff and none of it's ever fun but I really you know been reaping the benefits of doing it so I'm just going to keep doing it um I know I can crack very hard um and then you know my dad's my Shan conditioning coach so he wants to make sure I can just keep cracking you know what I mean after every single uh um exchange and you know if we got got to go through rounds we go through rounds if we know we have a five round fight I'm ready for a five round fight so um yeah man I I have a whole thing one day maybe I'll write a book about it and I'll give these guys my secrets and see if they they benefit from it I know I have um so yeah maybe at the end of it I'll help these guys out throw my bone there you go no that would definitely be nice if you do that and uh when when it comes to uh your fights like when you're getting ready to go out there and uh compete and stuff do you have like the fights on the back like are you watching or anything like that yeah it just depends on where you're at in the card um if you're early like on in the card uh you you are kind of keeping an you mainly want to keep an eye on uh like where you're at I like to get like ready like three three fights before mine so if I can do that I can time it like have an idea when I'll be fighting um because some people dude they they need I don't think they need it but they they'll be training in the back for an hour and a half I'm like you guys are nuts man I was like we don't even train an hour and a half in the gym you know consecutively before we go step into a cage and by that that hour and a half if you're actually grinding you're you're pretty freaking tired you know what I mean so I definitely try and then I got Greg and wink you know Greg and wink like they read me like a book they're like no he needs to sweat a little bit more he to you know you know we need we need we push him a little more or we need to pull back a little bit like they just kind and then like they go off of what I feel like if I feel like I'm ready like okay okay we're just going to kind of hang out here we're going to hang out here um sometimes I'll throw a bone in there with an intermission and they know how to kind of like keep me in that zone um because I've had it both where I where like I for the most part I stay in that my zone and then I walk out and then I feel like I feel amazing and then I've had it I think I want to say in my Miami fight against uh nordon Beck uh it was like a fight before mine I guess someone pulled out or no no no someone got injured or someone got sick or something had happened I'm like oh well we're going to we're going to take like a 30 minute inter uh intermission and I was like ready like I was about to go out and they just almost just like told me to turn it off and I'm like yo this not how it works man it's not how it works and luckily you know like I said I had wink and we figured it out I was at a very very strong like um energy I guess I don't know I don't even know how to say like I just felt really strong I felt ready to go and then they they told me like no not yet and uh I had to try to that energy for an extra 30 minutes and um it was it it was tough for me to do and so you know you know I think i' I've said it before but I started to kind of like just die down a little bit and it was kind of hard because it's hard to like have this High strong up energy this killer like instinct that I have in me um and I just I can't I can't let it out yet and when you can't let it out like I don't feel like you're able to perform uh good especially if it's going away so you know my coach you know we're we're hitting pads we're in the back we're doing this and that and I'm like my goodness dude I was like I don't I'm losing it coach like what do I do and he slap me boom and I was like yeah yeah yeah I was like do that because that pissed me off you know what I mean and so uh I told him you know what you probably should do that at the bottom of the cage like when when we go for a walk and so like I said I felt like I was a little deflated and so when I was walking out there you know I just did a quick prayer I was like God just my walkout song Hit let it hit and sure enough it hit me and I was like all right my Energy's back I walked in I got to the cage my coach slapped me out pretty good and my mind is right you know what I mean so it's crazy it's the things we do here it's kind of crazy and I only have one shot to do it uh you know I'm not like NBA or baseball I don't have the next day or another game or another series I have one night to perform so I got to make it count yeah no you definitely do and uh that's definitely a pretty cool story man 100% and uh when it comes to uh watching the fights on the TV I mean do you ever uh watch like your team go out there and compete and then does that like ever get in your head if they win or lose or anything like that it hasn't I mean so locally yes locally yes like uh I really haven't had to do that I think like even when I fought with like Michelle me and Michelle fought in Miami and I fought before she did and so she was the one watching me but um like locally I've had I've had one fight and this was like something that has never happened in like the history of my gym but every single fight and I was the main event and every single fight leading up to um that you know my fight all my guys were losing and I was like yo I was like this is not good like I'm and one like I I like I was like no you know what dude like we are coming out with the win and I was like I'm gonna bring it and sure enough and I fought uh I it it was a LFA fight where I fought chpe Marisol and um yeah man I just we we took it I tked him in the second round uh but man dude like seen every one of my guys come in and they're just like not you know they're not winning they're not performing which is unheard of uh it happened one of those nights and I I was able to pull it through but my goodness dude like seeing them just like it was bothering me and then I go to I go to Greg and I'm like dude I was like what's going on here he says it doesn't matter you know it doesn't matter he says we're here he says we can only control what you can control so let's go out there and let's control that you know I was like okay let's do it you know what I mean and like I said you get you get some of those type of coaches some of the best in the world they're in your ear they're just like your reassurance you know yeah no no that's that's definitely awesome and I'm definitely glad you got a good coach and uh Steve man it's been awesome talking to you uh thank you so much for coming back on the show my man I mean what's maybe your uh final message out there for the fans watching this video man it's always just just tune in guys like I promise you like I can't I can't make any guarantees in there I I I cannot but what I can guarantee you uh is that you're gonna get everything that I can get um you know I can't tell you I'm gonna get a knockout I'm not gonna tell you I'm gonna finish I'm not gonna tell you it's not gonna do this or that whatever the case is but what I can guarantee you is I'm going to give it every bit I have uh in me to go out there and perform for you guys and um I hope you guys understand that like you know this is this is a sport but let's go out there and let's freaking go man uh you know I bring it you know I've been bringing it I'm going to keep bringing it and uh you know what man I don't think you'd want to miss it you know I know it's a fight night um um but you know what I think I think we're in the co main again so let's go out there and let's freaking just you know let's do our theme let's you know that sounds that sounds good to me let's go out there and let's let's fight our heart out and um see another finish yeah no that's right and uh yeah we're looking forward to another finish my man and uh thank you so much for taking the time it uh means a lot to me and uh best of luck with your upcoming bout thanks brother I appreciate you yeah man enjoy the rest of your night thank you once again cool brother you have a good one 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