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

(Sure, dude. Just trim off some of that disgusting excess fat, and you’ll hit 135 no problem. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

Standing 6’1″ and carrying a 73-inch reach, Pablo Garza is already a freakish physical anomaly in the UFC featherweight division. His Mr. Fantastic-esque body-type has been a key element to his UFC victories, from his flying knee KO of Fredson Paixao during his Octagon debut at the TUF 12 Finale to his manhandling of Mark Hominick at UFC 154 on Saturday.

Garza’s latest win wasn’t just the greatest moment of his MMA career — it also saved him from a possible dismissal from the promotion, as he was coming into the match on a two-fight losing streak. So what’s next for the Scarecrow? Well, he’s going to try to shed 10 pounds of bone and gristle off his already-meager frame, because he’s sure he can be champion at 135. As he told MMA Weekly:

“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.”

I feel the same way about this as I did about Jeff Curran’s possible drop to 125 — dang, this is gonna look gross. Pablo Garza would be seven inches taller than UFC bantamweight regulars like Ivan Menjivar and Brad Pickett, and five inches taller than current champion Dominick Cruz. But will the height advantage really be worth the toll it would take on Garza’s health? And let’s not forget, being tall is only useful if you know how to exploit your range and the the angles of your attacks. Otherwise, you’re just a bigger target for body shots.

Bonus gif: Garza throws some spinnin’ shit at Mark Hominick. File under “oh man, if that landed…”