Bold Statement of the Day: Pablo Garza Is 10 Pounds Away From Being the Jon Jones of Bantamweight

Standing 6’1” with a 73-inch reach, Pablo Garza was already a striking physical outlier in the UFC featherweight division. His unusual frame had contributed to memorable UFC moments, from the flying-knee knockout of Fredson Paixao in his Octagon debut to his victory over Mark Hominick at UFC 154.

Pablo Garza Considers a Move to Bantamweight

The Hominick victory snapped a two-fight losing streak. Afterward, Garza revealed that he was considering an even more dramatic challenge: dropping another 10 pounds to compete at bantamweight.

“I actually am thinking about dropping to 135. Yeah, and winning the title at 135. If I make 135, I know I’ll win the title. I think I’ll be like the Jon Jones of 135…it’s probably gonna be a couple trial runs at first, you know, see how I feel, working with a diet, getting a good dietician and stuff like that. And if I can make ’35 and dominate, I’m gonna do it.”

How Unusual Would Garza Be at 135 Pounds?

At 6’1”, Garza would have stood seven inches taller than bantamweights such as Ivan Menjivar and Brad Pickett and five inches taller than then-champion Dominick Cruz. The question was whether that reach advantage would outweigh the difficulty of making the lighter weight class.

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