At UFC Vegas 110, Steve Garcia delivered his career-best performance, making quick work of David Onama. From the opening bell, ‘Mean Machine’ looked aggressive, focused, and unleashed massive combinations on his opponent. Because of that approach, Garcia knocked Onama down twice before sealing the deal with ground and pound at 3:34 of the very first round. While the fight was exciting in its own right, it wasn’t nearly as competitive as the odds suggested. And now, Garcia has revealed why he defeated Onama so easily.

In a fight, corner work often plays a key role in shaping the outcome, and at UFC Apex, David Onama’s was pretty solid. The Ugandan fighter’s corner featured featherweight contender Youssef Zalal, who recently picked up a win over Josh Emmett, with other teammates. But, despite having such stellar company, Steve Garcia pointed out that Onama became too focused on what his corner was saying instead of fighting him, and that mistake cost him the fight. 

Steve Garcia shares thoughts on his opponent losing focus at UFC Vegas 110

Garcia told ESPN MMA after the fight, “I was really shocked. I thought he would’ve came at me a little bit more aggressively, but he was very attentive to his corner. He was like in the zone, but he was paying attention to them more than he was paying attention to me. Then I’m like, ‘Okay, this is my time to kind of push the pace a little bit, capitalize on maybe him skipping a beat. I don’t know. We’re in a fistfight here, we’re in the fire, right?’ 

Well, ‘Mean Machine’ definitely pointed out a crucial flaw here. In MMA, corner work can get loud and passionate, and sure, it can create distractions for a fighter who’s still an amateur or new to the game. But for Onama, a professional fighting at the UFC level, listening too much to his corner while losing focus was nothing but a rookie mistake, and it cost him the fight. Moreover, Garcia also mentioned how he stayed locked in while noticing his opponent was talking back to his coaches during the fight.

He added at the ESPN MMA interview, “So I made sure that I listened to my coaches. They were shouting their commands out there; that’s not unusual. But he was very receptive and was also talking back. And to me, I don’t know, it just felt off. It felt different. It didn’t feel like he was in the zone to fight me.”  

So, that’s a lesson! If someone loses even a tiny bit of focus inside the Octagon, it can lead to a brutal finish. That’s exactly what happened to ‘The Silent Assassin.’ However, Garcia’s crucial victory has now put him in a strong position to face a much bigger challenge. And although he wanted Max Holloway, there’s another veteran he called out to face next. 

‘Mean Machine’ calls out Josh Emmett 

After the New Mexico native racked up his seventh win in a row, he didn’t hesitate to call out the BMF champion and former featherweight king, Max Holloway, for a clash. During his Octagon interview, Garcia said, “I want the Rocky Balboa story. I want the Max Holloway BMF title. This kid is a southpaw. There’s nobody out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, calling his shots. I want that shot. I want that champ.” 

It was an incredible callout, but since ‘Blessed’ has moved up to lightweight, getting a shot at him would be tough. However, that doesn’t mean Garcia doesn’t have a backup plan. At the post-fight press conference, he called out 145 lbs vet Josh Emmett, “I think one fight that makes a lot of sense is probably Josh Emmett. He has a name on him. He definitely has a higher ranking than I do, and I kind of felt like he’s available, so why not?” Garcia also mentioned that he wants to fight at the start of next year.

To be honest, with the UFC stepping into the Paramount+ era next year, they could absolutely book Garcia vs. Emmett in January. And also, this matchup would be a great addition to the Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane 2 fight card, as the promotion reportedly is looking to kickstart a new era with that rematch.

That said, do you think Steve Garcia could actually get Josh Emmett next year? And do you believe David Onama made a mistake by listening too much to his corner? Let us know in the comments section below.