Rafa Garcia needed 15 stitches to close that nasty cut at UFC Fight Night 216
LAS VEGAS – Rafa Garcia beat Hayisaer Maheshate with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 216 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Garcia, who was a bloody mess after the fight thanks to a big cut.
Rafa Garcia vs. Hayisaer Maheshate
Result: Rafa Garcia def. Hayisaer Maheshate via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Garcia (15-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC), Maheshate (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Key stat: Garcia landed six takedowns and outstruck Maheshate 79-30.
Garcia on the fight's key moment
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 17: (L-R) Maheshate of China punches Rafa Garcia in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 17, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“I went in there and hit the body a lot. … I feel like that broke him a little bit and I got my takedowns.”
Garcia on his big cut and amount of stitches
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 17: (L-R) Rafa Garcia punches Maheshate of China in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 17, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“I got … 15 (stitches). With the ref and the judges, you never know. Sometimes they see too much blood and they’ll give (your opponent) a round, or stop the fight. You just never know. That made me keep pushing and just try to make a statement.”
Garcia on what he wants next
“(I want to get to) the top 15 – be in the top 15, be active, get at least three, pushing four fights.”
To hear more from Garcia, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 263.
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