Garcia Knows If He Runs, He’s Not Welcome Home

Leonard Garcia, on “The Savage Dog Show,” discussing his ability to take a punch:

“I think it’s a testament to how we train. Me and [Donald Cerrone], we try to knock each other out in the gym. Also, other guys that are in there training with us will stand toe-to-toe with us. A lot of guys plant their heels and really get going. We tell each other things like, ‘Man, if you ever get hurt or knocked out or if you cover yourself up and run away from a punch or run away from a fight, don’t bother coming home. Just stay where you’re at. If you’re in Houston and you run away from [UFC 136 opponent Nam Phan] or you cover up because he’s beating on you and you don’t know how to respond, just don’t come home. Don’t come back to New Mexico. Stay in Texas.’ We tell each other stuff like that, and I think that stuff carries over in your mind whenever it’s time to fight. There have been some shots that I’ve taken that have rattled me. Maybe I didn’t show it, but yeah, they were there. I’ve been dropped a couple of times, but there’s just something inside of me that tells me, ‘Get up or don’t show them that you’re hurt,’ and it normally works for me. I think some people are just born with it and some people aren’t.”