UFC Fight Night 263: David Onama full media day interview
UFC Fight Night 263 headliner David Onama spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at media day for his featherweight bout vs. Steve Garcia
LAS VEGAS – David Onama sees the opportunity in front of him at UFC Fight Night 263, and he intends to take full advantage of it.
Onama (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets Steve Garcia (18-5 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in a matchup of first-time headliners on Saturday at UFC Apex (ESPN+), and the winner will move one rung higher on the ladder in the featherweight division.
Both men are streaking, with Onama on a four-fight winning streak against Garcia, who has won his past six and is No. 12 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings. Onama said the fight makes sense, especially after his opponent made his desires for it public.
“I’ve been watching Steve for a pretty long time,” Onama told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “When he called me out, I wasn’t too surprised because I was honestly thinking about the same thing that we’re going to end up fighting each other in the future. Then he called me out, and I was like, ‘Yeah man, that’s a good matchup.'”
Onama, 31, is understanding of everything that could be on the other side of beating Garcia, and it has him locked in going into the five-round bout.
“A win over Steve Garcia will put me in the top 10 of the division, for sure,” Onama said. “Getting a win over him would definitely climb me up. Especially for a main event against a tough opponent. It would definitely put me in the top 10.”
Not only does Onama plan to win, but he intends to do so in style. He thinks the fight was made by UFC because both men have serious knockout power, and while he plans to test that, he said he’ll be prepared if Garcia chooses to mix it up.
“KO baby, let’s go,” Onama said. “If the fight goes there, I have a game plan for that, too. I’m well-rounded. Wherever the fight goes, I’ll be ready for it. Whatever it is, we’ll be ready for it.”
