Leonard Garcia Not Out of Work for Long, Signs to Fight for Texas-Based Legacy FC

Nearly everyone, including Leonard Garcia himself, knew that the axe was bound to fall on him following his recent loss to Cody McKenzie at UFC 159 on April 27.

It hasn’t taken long for him to bounce back, however, as Legacy Fighting Championship on Friday night announced that it has added Garcia to its roster. He’s already got his first Legacy FC bout scheduled, as well.

He’ll face Rey Trujillo on July 19 at Legacy FC 21 in Houston.

Garcia has long been a fan favorite for his wild, caution-to-the-wind style.

He had spent the past six years under the Zuffa umbrella, fighting in the UFC and WEC a total of 17 times during those six years.

Garcia’s record was 6-10-1 during his Zuffa tenure. Almost no other fighter gets the same opportunity with a record that is that far below .500, but Garcia always came to the Octagon and laid everything on the line, earning him a legion of fans, including UFC president Dana White.

Five consecutive losses, however, was one too many, and he was released following the McKenzie loss.

Garcia took his promotional release in stride, tweeting, “Got let go by @UFC thanks for everything!  I’ll be back better than ever. Thanks to all my friends this is a great reality check time to get back on the grind.”

Born in Plainview, Texas, and currently residing outside Albuquerque, N.M., fighting for Legacy FC is a great fit for Garcia. Legacy, to date, has held all of its events in Texas, allowing Garcia to fight in familiar territory.