Garcia calls out 'disrespect' despite seven UFC knockouts ahead of White House card

Steve Garcia is carrying a pronounced chip on his shoulder into UFC Freedom 250, insisting he remains undervalued by fans and the broader MMA community despite an eight-win UFC record that includes seven knockouts.

“I do still feel disrespected. I do feel like people don’t count me seriously, but I finally get a platform where I can go out there and continue to prove otherwise,” Garcia said ahead of the event. “I have seven knockouts in the UFC, eight wins… I’ve knocked out several guys, and, bro, I don’t even have a Topps card. Everybody on the White House card pretty much has a Topps card.”

Garcia pointed to the absence of a Topps trading card as a tangible symbol of the recognition he feels he has been denied, and made clear he intends to use the slight as motivation. “I got a big chip on my shoulder for everybody doubting me, I’ll tell you that much,” he added. “It’s not like people are calling me out. There’s a reason for that. I bring it in. It’s gonna be one of the hardest fights you ever fight when I’m in there with you.”

UFC Freedom 250 takes place on Sunday, June 14, on the south lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. The seven-fight card is headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, with Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane scheduled to contest the interim heavyweight belt in the co-main event.

Garcia’s comments arrive in a week already charged with pre-fight rhetoric, as Topuria and Gaethje have also been trading verbal jabs in the build-up to what is shaping up to be one of the most high-profile events in recent UFC history.