An established name carries a lot of things in the sport of mixed martial arts, but expectation is by far the heaviest.

Fans flock to the familiar, and any time the volume is kicked up on the buzz surrounding a fighter and the wattage on the spotlight increases, pressure is automatically entered into the equation.

Elias Garcia knows full well what being the cousin of UFC stars Anthony and Sergio Pettis brings to his profile in the sport, but it's the lessons learned from his cousins and their experiences that have helped him navigate the invisible obstacles of a career on the rise in the chaotic and unforgiving game that is MMA.





Garcia knows every opponent and fight in front of him will require his individual talent and grit, but he's grateful for the guidance provided from those who have accomplished at the highest level of the game.

"Sergio and Anthony have told me time and time again the only pressure that exists is what I put on myself," Garcia told FloCombat. "It's not them or Duke [Roufus] fighting out there...it's me. And if I want to make this my career, then I'm the one who has to go out there and fight because no one can do it for me. A lot of people think there's a lot of pressure on me, but I don't see it that way. The only pressure that exists is what I put on myself.

"I always expect a lot of eyes on me. I'm not trying to sound cocky, but being Sergio and Anthony's cousin puts a target on my back where there's always people who are trying to beat me up and try to take my record."

Although Garcia fully embraces his relationship with his cousins and what that means in the sport of MMA, he's also adamant what's theirs is truly their own. Garcia is bound and determined to make his own way through, and he's confident that's exactly what he's in the process of doing.

"I'm definitely on my own path," Garcia said. "You can tell just from looking at my cousins' fighting style to mine that we are completely different. We are all different in this game and have to bring our own thing to the table to establish ourselves. That said, I'll definitely use whatever I have to in order to get where I'm aiming to go.

"Maybe I wouldn't have landed these fights if they weren't my cousins, but I'll use that all the way up until the cage door closes, because once the fight starts it's just me in there."


Photo Credit: @eliasgarcia714

And with that education in tow, the undefeated prospect is ready to step into the biggest fight of his young career this Saturday night at Driller Promotions Presents: Mecca X on FloCombat. The 24-year-old bantamweight will face fellow unbeaten talent David Williams in the main event of the card in a bout that pits two of the most promising young talents in the Midwest region against one another under the bright lights.

Both Garcia and Williams have the same high stakes on the line entering the fight, and it's a scenario he's grateful for in the calm before the storm.

"I always plan for the hardest fight of my career each and every time out, and I'm not taking David Williams lightly in the slightest," Garcia said. "He's also coming in as a prospect who wants to make a name for himself the same way I do. We are going to go out there and do the damn thing

"I want to thank David for taking the fight. Not that people are scared to take fights against me, but he's taking the same exact risk I am. We both want to take the next step in our careers and we are willing to put it all on the line to do so. He has a big name here in the Midwest and I need to take him out to take a step closer to the big stage. The same rings true for him, and that's why I'm thankful this fight could be put together.

"I also want to thank my coaches and my managing team for getting me this fight because these are the fights I want," he added. "I don't want fights that aren't going to get me anywhere. I don't want to be fighting locally just for the sake of fighting. I want fights that are going to get me to the UFC where I think I belong."


Photo Credit: @eliasgarcia714

When it comes to the topic of the biggest stages in the sport, there's a noticeable change in Garcia's delivery. Although he's a young fighter who has solid accomplishments for his age, it becomes clear things aren't necessarily where the Milwaukee native wants them to be. Yet, with the aforementioned lessons on pressure received from the fighting Pettis brothers, Garcia has learned to back off of his own expectations.

In his mind, reaching the UFC isn't a matter of chance but a result fixed in stone. Garcia knows he's going to fight inside the Octagon someday, but the when and where of that reality come with looser edges than he previously allowed himself to believe. Anything forced or fussed over is only added pressure, and that's not something he's going to put on his shoulders.

Instead, Garcia will let the paths traveled by champions and contenders alike--in addition to one savvy FloComabt veteran who has made good in the big leagues--show him what is possible. And he'll do it this way because that's how the game is truly passed on to those in the know.

"There have definitely been periods where I haven't trained or pursued this as consistently as I should have, and it reflects in my record," Garcia said. "I definitely regret that because I'll never get that time back, but I don't need to rush anything. I have great role models in the gym who have taught me age isn't a factor. I mean, look at Tyron Woodley. He won the belt at 34, and my good friend Gerald [Meerschaert] had a long path to the UFC in his own right. I can't put those limits on myself.

"If I don't hit those goals in the time I expect, that is only going to discourage my growth and I'm not about that right now. I'm going to win these fights and take the opportunities I have in front of me. The UFC is going to call and I'm going to take it. I know it's going to happen, I just need to be patient. I need to put the work in and be ready."

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How to Watch Driller Promotions: Mecca X

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