Combat sports: Perez, Garcia score impressive wins

In El Paso, to the surprise of no one, Abraham Perez was a master tactician.

In Nashville, Tennessee, to the surprise of many, so was Steve Garcia.

Perez and Garcia, two of Albuquerque’s finest combat-sports practitioners, scored impressive and significant victories on Saturday in their respective pursuits.

In El Paso, Perez defeated Mexico’s Angel Geovanny Meza Morales by unanimous eight-round decision in the flyweight main event of a pro boxing card at the El Paso Coliseum.

In Nashville, the heavy-handed Garcia was tactically superb in defeating veteran Calvin Kattar by shutout — 30-27 on all three scorecards — in a featured fight on a UFC MMA card at Bridgestone Arena.

Perez, relying on skills he developed during a long and successful amateur career — “Ring Generalship 101,” as described by the blow-by-blow announcer on the bxngtv.com streaming of Saturday’s card —improved his professional record to 12-0 with six knockouts.

Meza Morales, of Ensenada, Baja California, is 9-4-3 with six KOs.

Saturday’s bout was Perez’s first real challenge in the ring after a near-drowning a year ago that kept him in a hospital for weeks. He returned to boxing in April with a second-round knockout of Mexico’s Jose Rodriguez Montemayor (7-10) in Albuquerque.

Against Meza Morales, a far more skilled and durable opponent, Perez’s speed of hand and foot, his defensive skills and his offensive creativity led to a clear-cut win on the scorecards: 80-72, 79-73 and 77-75.

There were no knockdowns.

“Compared to pretty much the last year I’ve had,” Perez said in the ring afterward, “not being able to walk (a reference to his brush with death and recovery), and having to start, really from the bottom up, I’m here. I thank God every day for it.”

In Nashville, Garcia (18-5) saw an end to the five-knockout streak he brought into Saturday’s fight against the ultra-durable Kattar (23-10). His victory by decision, controlling the fight virtually throughout three five-minute rounds, arguably was more impressive than those five knockouts.

Garcia landed shots that might have led to a stoppage against a less durable opponent, and he did drop Kattar with a left hand in the third round.

“I wanted to make sure I stayed progressive, especially with a fighter like (Kattar), put my hands on him,” Garcia said in the Octagon afterward.

“Be smart in here, man … I hate that I ruined my (knockout) streak, but that’s OK.”

More important than the knockout streak is Garcia’s six-fight win streak, which likely will vault him into the UFC featherweight rankings for the first time. Kattar is ranked 14th.

ANOTHER STREAK BROKEN: Saturday was not a clean sweep for Albuquerque fighters. In El Paso, lightweight boxer Andres Rey (5-1, one KO) lost as a pro for the first time — outboxed over six rounds by Gary Hampton (6-2, no KOs) of Fort Worth, Texas.

Rey, who was dropped by a right hand in the third round, struggled to match Hampton’s hand speed. The judges scored it 59-54, 58-55 an 57-56, all for Hampton.