Steve Garcia recently shared details about a conversation he had with his son after his loss at UFC Freedom 250. The event took place on the White House grounds in Washington, D.C., and marked Garcia’s first defeat in approximately four years.
Garcia’s bout against Diego Lopes was the opening fight of the UFC Freedom 250 card. The fight concluded in the second round with Lopes securing a knockout victory via a left hook and ground and pound shots. This result ended Garcia’s seven-fight winning streak.
Post-Fight Conversation with Son
Upon returning home to his family after the event, Garcia faced a difficult moment when his young son inquired about the fight’s outcome. Garcia recounted his son asking, “Daddy, did you win?” Given Garcia’s undefeated streak over the past four years, his son had not experienced his father losing a fight.
When Garcia informed his son that he had not won, his son began to cry, a reaction Garcia described as heartbreaking. Garcia then drew a parallel to video game sessions with his son, where he often encourages him to learn from losses. He reminded his son of the advice he gives: “If you lose, what does Daddy always tell you?” His son responded, “Try again.” Garcia then told his son, “Exactly, so Daddy has to try again.”
Garcia’s previous loss in MMA occurred in June of 2022 at UFC 275, which was held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Event Day Disruptions
The UFC Freedom 250 event itself experienced some unusual disruptions. A weather delay in the vicinity of the White House caused the card’s scheduled 8 p.m. ET start time to be pushed back. Garcia described warming up as scheduled, only to be informed of a 30-minute delay due to the inclement weather.
After the weather cleared, Garcia resumed his warm-up. However, he was then quickly told that fighter walkouts were imminent, leaving him with little time to fully re-engage his pre-fight routine. He noted that he had not even broken a sweat again before being called to the cage. Garcia acknowledged that his opponent, Lopes, experienced the same delays, stating, “It is what it is. I’m not going to complain about it because Diego had to deal with the same thing I did.”
Another factor Garcia mentioned was the absence of his head coach, Greg Jackson, from the White House event. Garcia indicated that Jackson’s absence created a tactical gap that his longtime coach, Mike Winkeljohn, could not entirely fill. He highlighted that he had never lost a fight when both Jackson and Winkeljohn were in his corner.
Garcia is expected to return to sparring this week. He expressed a desire to continue competing at the top of the featherweight division after experiencing it.
The UFC Freedom 250 event was part of broader celebrations within the United States of America and featured a seven-fight card, presented as a rare Sunday night showcase for the sport’s premier promotion.
Garcia’s reflections on the fight and the subsequent conversation with his son were shared in an interview with MMA Fighting.
Source: mmasucka.com
