Pablo Garza
Active 2011–present · rated in 1 edition · peak overall 71.0
Scouting report
Pablo Garza is a 6 ft 1 in featherweight with a 75 inch reach who trained at the Academy of Combat Arts in Fargo, North Dakota under Dylan Spicers. He lost to Michael Johnson on the TUF 12 premiere, then knocked out Fredson Paixao with a flying knee 51 seconds into round one at the TUF 12 Finale on December 4, 2010. He submitted Yves Jabouin with a flying triangle at UFC 129 on April 30, 2011. The UFC released him in May 2013, and he moved to Oslo.
Peak ratings
Pablo Garza: the Fargo featherweight with the flying knee and the flying triangle
Before the UFC he beat William Joplin on August 21, 2010 and Aaron Steele by TKO in round three on September 11. He took a WEC 51 fight on short notice as a replacement for Jason Reinhardt and lost a first-round guillotine to Tiequan Zhang. UFC.com ranked the Paixao knockout fifth among the best knockouts of 2010 and the Jabouin submission third among 2011's best. He finished 3-3 in the UFC.
Garza, rating by rating
Boxing. 74. He beat Joplin on a unanimous decision and Steele by TKO in 2010, before he reached the UFC.
Kickboxing. 76, the highest of his striking scores. The flying knee that finished Paixao won Knockout of the Night.
Wrestling. 68, behind everything else on the card. Dennis Bermudez beat him on a unanimous decision at UFC on Fox 3 in May 2012.
BJJ. 74. Jabouin tapped to a flying triangle at 4:31 of round one at UFC 129, which won Submission of the Night. Poirier submitted him with a D'Arce choke at 1:32 of round two at UFC on Fox 1 in November 2011.
Strength. 70. Diego Brandao submitted him with an arm-triangle in round one in April 2013.
Durability. 74. Poirier needed until round two to finish him, and Bermudez went to the cards.
Cardio. 80, his best. He beat Mark Hominick on a unanimous decision at UFC 154 in November 2012.
Fight IQ. 74. He withdrew from a UFC on Fox 4 fight with Josh Grispi in August 2012 with an injury, and Rani Yahya took the date.
Creative finishes: a flying knee and a flying triangle
The Paixao knockout earned Knockout of the Night and the Jabouin submission earned Submission of the Night. He also trained in Minnesota with Jacob Volkmann, Nik Lentz and Pat Barry. For one highlight finish, few fighters at his weight offer more variety.
Wrestling at 68 and a quick exit
Bermudez, Poirier and Brandao each beat him between November 2011 and April 2013, and the UFC confirmed his release in May 2013. He has not fought since. Poirier and Brandao both finished him on the ground.
Keep exploring
Closest featherweight profiles to Pablo Garza, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Will Chopebest cardio 80 · weakest wrestling 66
- Diego Nunesbest cardio 84 · weakest bjj 72
- Cole Millerbest bjj 84 · weakest wrestling 68
- Hacran Diasbest cardio 82 · weakest strength 74
- Featherweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits Pablo Garza's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft Pablo Garza into your build
Pablo Garza enters the pool on any spin landing on featherweight between 2010 and 2013. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Pablo Garza is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Pablo Garza's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.