Rafa García | |
Other Names: | Gifted |
Birth Name: | Rafael García Jr. |
Birth Date: | 5 August 1994 |
Birth Place: | Brawley, California, United States |
Residence: | Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico |
Nationality: | Mexican |
Weight Lb: | 155 |
Weight Class: | Lightweight |
Reach: | 70.0 in[1] |
Rank: | Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[2] |
Fighting Out Of: | Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico |
Team: | Team Punisher Yuma United MMA (formerly)[3] UFC GYM Costa Mesa (2017–present) Huntington Beach Ultimate Training Center |
Years Active: | 2014–present |
Mma Kowin: | 1 |
Mma Subwin: | 8 |
Mma Decwin: | 6 |
Mma Decloss: | 3 |
Sherdog: | 186049 |
Rafael García Jr. (born August 5, 1994) is an American-born Mexican professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional mixed martial artist since 2014, García is also a former Combate Americas Lightweight Champion.
García was born in Brawley, California to Mexican parents and grew up in El Centro, California, and has a sister and a younger brother. He started training martial arts at the age of 13 when his father took him to a gym to learn self-defense.[4] He graduated from Imperial High School where he wrestled for one year.[5] He lives in Mexicali, Baja California since 2013.
Racking up a 4–0 record in Mexico, García participated in the inaugural Combate Americas open tryouts and receiving a contract after winning the tryouts.[6] In Combate Americas García went undefeated 8–0 and claiming the Combate Americas Lightweight Championship against Erick Gonzalez at Combate 44 on September 20, 2019.[7] He successfully defended the title against Humberto Bandenay at Combate 55 on February 21, 2020. On June 13, 2020, García announced that he had vacated the title.[8]
On March 10, 2021, it was announced that García would be replacing Don Madge against Nasrat Haqparast at on March 13, 2021.[9] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[10]
In his sophomore appearance, García faced Chris Gruetzemacher at on July 31, 2021. Despite knocking Gruetzemacher down in the first round, García went on to lose the fight via unanimous decision.[11]
García then faced Natan Levy at on November 20, 2021.[12] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[13]
García faced Jesse Ronson on April 16, 2022 at UFC on ESPN 34.[14] He won the fight via rear-naked choke in round two.[15]
García faced Drakkar Klose, replacing injured Carlos Diego Ferreira, on July 30, 2022 at UFC 277.[16] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[17]
García faced Hayisaer Maheshate on December 17, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 216.[18] At the weigh-ins, Hayisaer Maheshate weighed in at 158.5 pounds, two and a half pounds over the lightweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Maheshate was fined 20% of his purse, which went to García.[19] García won the fight via unanimous decision.[20]
García faced Clay Guida on April 15, 2023 at UFC on ESPN 44.[21] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[22]
García is scheduled to face Grant Dawson on October 12, 2024 at UFC Fight Night 244.[23]
García and his wife have a daughter (born 2019) and a son (born 2021), both born in Mexicali, Mexico.[24]
|-|Win|align=center|15–3|Clay Guida|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Kansas City, Missouri, United States||-|Win|align=center|14–3|Hayisaer Maheshate|Decision (unanimous)|| |align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States| |-|Loss|align=center|13–3|Drakkar Klose|Decision (unanimous)|UFC 277||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Dallas, Texas, United States||-| Win| align=center| 13–2|Jesse Ronson|Submission (rear-naked choke)| ||align=center|2|align=center|4:50|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-| Win| align=center| 12–2| Natan Levy| Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-| Loss| align=center|11–2|Chris Gruetzemacher|Decision (unanimous)| ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-| Loss| align=center|11–1| Nasrat Haqparast|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-| Win| align=center| 11–0| Humberto Bandenay|Decision (unanimous)|Combate 55: Mexicali||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Mexicali, Mexico||-| Win| align=center|10–0| Erick Gonzalez| Decision (unanimous)| Combate 44: Mexicali| | align=center|3| align=center|5:00| Mexicali, Mexico| |-| Win| align=center|9–0| Estevan Payan|Submission (rear-naked choke)|Combate 39: Unbreakable||align=center|1|align=center|4:50|Tucson, Arizona, United States||-| Win| align=center|8–0| Edgar Escarrega| Submission (rear-naked choke)|Combate 30: Mexicali||align=center|2|align=center|1:07|Mexicali, Mexico| |-| Win| align=center| 7–0| LaRue Burley|KO (punches)|Combate 24: Alday vs. Lopez||align=center|1|align=center|2:26|Phoenix, Arizona, United States| |-| Win| align=center| 6–0| Chase Gibson|Decision (majority)|Combate 20: Combate Estrellas 1||align=center| 3|align=center| 5:00|Los Angeles, California, United States||-| Win| align=center| 5–0|Marcos Bonilla|Submission (armbar)|Combate 17: El Grito En La Jaula||align=center|2|align=center|1:07|Redlands, California, United States||-| Win| align=center| 4–0| Raúl Najera Ocampo| Submission (heel hook)| Combate 10| | align=center| 1| align=center| 1:04| Mexico City, Mexico| |-| Win| align=center| 3–0| Jovany Amador|Submission (armbar)|Warrior Championship Fighting 8||align=center|1|align=center|3:21|Mexicali, Mexico||-| Win| align=center| 2–0| Mike Sandoval| Submission (armbar)|Warrior Championship Fighting 6|| align=center|1| align=center|0:24|Mexicali, Mexico||-| Win| align=center|1–0| Dante Ramos| Submission (armbar)| Extreme Full Contact 4||align=center|1|align=center|2:06|Mexicali, Mexico| [25]