NORFOLK, Va. – Luis Pena beat Steve Garcia with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 27 in Norfolk, Va.
Take a look inside the fight with Pena, who got back in the win column and has won three of his past four.
Result: Luis Pena def. Steve Garcia via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Pena (8-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Garcia (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Garcia outstruck Pena 89-27, but it was Pena’s control on the canvas that appeared to win over the judges.
Pena on the fight’s key moment
“There was definitely a time when I had his back that I thought, ‘Forget this. Let me push off and stand this thing up and bang.’ But then I got back in myself and focused on winning. As much as I want to entertain, I want to win and I need to make that money.”
Pena on an opponent switch early in fight week
“As much as I’d like to say that the last-minute change in opponents messed with me, once I got in there it was just a fight. It was a big stylistic change, and we had to redo the game plan on the fly, but I can’t use that as an excuse.”
Pena on putting on a show next time
“I’m happy with the win, but that’s not the way that I like to do it. This is my job, this is my career, and I want to put on a show for the fans. Sometimes, when you are in that situation, you have to do what you have to do. But I’m an entertainer. I go out there and put on a show for my fans. I like when people tell me that they like watching me fight, and I wouldn’t want to watch that fight.”
To hear more from Pena, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
