Rongzhu weathered Rafa Garcia’s pressure and powered through a competitive three-round battle to extend his winning streak at Noche UFC.
The lightweight clash unfolded Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, with both fighters willing to stand and trade from the opening bell on the Noche UFC preliminary card. Garcia used his shorter frame to get inside behind his uppercut and right hand, while “The Yama King” mixed kicks with a steady jab and worked to maintain distance.
Garcia found some success with his pressure, but Rongzhu gradually began timing him on the way in. A heavy exchange late in the first round saw both men connect, with “Gifted” suffering a cut near his eye. Garcia briefly changed levels and secured a takedown before the horn, but Rongzhu quickly returned to his feet.
Rongzhu Takes Over As Rafa Garcia’s Volume Fades At Noche UFC
The pace remained high in the second round, with Rongzhu increasingly finding Rafa Garcia with clean jabs and uppercuts as the Mexican lightweight tried to close the distance. “Gifted” answered with his own right hand, but “The Yama King’s” ability to control the range allowed him to consistently land the cleaner power shots.
Garcia’s corner urged him to bring the pressure and avoid taking steps backward, but Rongzhu continued to dictate the striking exchanges. Garcia attempted to turn to wrestling late, though Rongzhu had already done enough to build a lead and continued to land as the fight reached its conclusion.
All three judges at Noche UFC scored the contest 29-28 for “The Yama King”, who improved to 29-6 overall and 5-3 in the UFC. His victories now include Brandon Jenkins, Kody Steele and Austin Hubbard, along with this win over Garcia.
On the other hand, Garcia fell to 19-5 overall and 7-65 in the UFC. His UFC résumé includes wins over Alexander Hernandez, Jared Gordon, Vinc Pichel, Clay Guida, Maheshate, Jesse Ronson and Natan Levy.
