Things have worked out for Rafa Garcia . The Combate Americas lightweight champion has climbed up the fighting ranks in his hometown of Mexicali, Mexico, and Imperial County in California. From impromptu brawls after school to competing professionally in the cage and winning a championship, Garcia (11-0 MMA) has taken his career to new levels, and it’s been a sight to admire in the region. “I started training when I was 13 years old in a self-defense program,” Garcia told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “My dad took me there because I use to get into a lot of fights, and my dad warned me: ‘There’s people that know how to box, that know how to wrestle, and you can run into someone that knows.’ And I would say, ‘No, I’ll fight whoever, I don’t care who,’ and he was like, ‘OK, let me take you to a gym.’ And, yeah, the first day I left all beat up, but instead of getting scared I liked it and turned it into a job, and here I am.” Garcia started street fighting at a young age. He always gravitated toward combat and would look for any opportunity to throw down