Ht./Wt.: 5’7”/145 lbs.
Age: 33
Hometown: Sunnyside, Wash.
Fighting out of: Bettendorf, Iowa
Record: 22-9-1
The stakes: Fresh off a disappointing and surprisingly one-sided decision loss to Urijah Faber, Pulver now finds himself having to climb the ladder all over again if he is to challenge for the title that eluded him. A good start would be notching a win over Garcia, who is one of several young guns with the inside track to a title shot. A loss would likely get fan and observer alike ready to write the obituary for Pulver’s day as a top-flight fighter.
The breakdown: Long known for his southpaw boxing style and atomic left hand, Pulver appeared a bit shopworn in his bout with Faber, which has led to talk of his best days being long gone. Garcia presents the perfect opportunity for Pulver to rediscover past form, as Garcia has never been shy about his willingness to settle matters on the feet. If Pulver can keep Garcia off balance with movement and the jab while setting up the big left, he’ll have himself a new entry to his already long highlight reel.
Garcia Scouting Report
Ht./Wt.: 5’9”/145 lbs.
Age: 31
Hometown: Plainview, Texas
Fighting out of: Albuquerque, N.M.
Record: 11-3
The stakes: Recently cleared of federal charges surrounding a cocaine ring in Texas, Garcia can refocus on working his way toward a title tilt in the WEC, and with no clear No. 1 contender waiting in the wings, Garcia is in prime position to stake his claim. The flip side is that Garcia only has a single win in the WEC and it came against Hiroyuki Takaya, one of many Shooto veterans to struggle in the states. A loss would likely have many writing off Garcia’s prospects as a legitimate contender.
The breakdown: Despite being a solid grappler, Garcia loves nothing more than a good old-fashioned slugfest and he’ll get little argument from Pulver if that is the strategy he goes with. That doesn’t mean it’s the best strategy, though. Pulver is hardly bulletproof on the mat, and Garcia has both the size to bully Pulver to the ground and the skill to finish the job.
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The bottom line: A lifetime’s worth of big fights are starting to wear on Pulver, and this bout will cement the notion that it’ll be diminishing returns with him from here on out. Garcia has the chin to stand up to Pulver and the sort of crippling power that can keep him on the defensive. Watch for Pulver to jump into the fray anyway and pay for it with a knockout loss.