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The opening of the preliminary map for UFC Vegas 39 did not disappoint as lightweight fighter Steve Garcia won a spectacular comeback by TKO. The finish came at 1:51 on the second round after being rocked by Charlie Ontiveros several times in the first round. Garcia landed punishing ground and pound strikes to win the finish rather decisively.
Mainly, ‘Mean Machine’ has now successfully bounced back after losing to Luis Pena in February 2020. He showed a lot of heart to weather the first Ontiveros storm despite being inactive for a long time. However, Steve Garcia has shown that he is just as dangerous as ever once the fight hits the canvas.
In terms of statement, it doesn’t get more decisive than a vicious floor-and-book showcase.
Charlie Ontiveros almost ended the show earlier
The fighter 11-7 in Ontiveros almost sealed an early TKO finish on Garcia when he landed a Perfect Ax kick. The kick grazed Garcia’s right temple and he immediately tripped over the canvas. Charlie Ontiveros landed a flurry of follow-up strikes and it looked like he was ready to get Garcia out of there in no time.
However, as previously mentioned, Garcia managed to get in close and was extremely effective with his short range strikes. In addition, he refused to be overwhelmed by the damage he absorbed and was also efficient in his energy management.
There is no doubt that his blood and guts to unlock the battle map could earn him a performance bonus. Plus, taking into account the storm he went through in the opening moments of the first round, he’s an immediate candidate for a bonus. It’s safe to say that UFC cards without the biggest names continue to deliver massively.
As for Charlie Ontiveros, he’s now on a two-fight slippage after losing his previous fight against 2020 “Fighter of the Year” to Kevin Holland at middleweight. Ontiveros is huge for the lightweight division and he has the potential to make waves in the division.
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