Q&A: M. Garcia fights for Mexican fans, American-style

To some, unbeaten featherweight contender Miguel "Mikey" Garcia may come off as a contradiction.

Trained by his father, Mexican-born Eduardo Garcia, and his older brother, ex-titleholder Robert Garcia, the 24-year-old Oxnard, Calif., resident longs for the popularity and fan base of Mexican fighters such as WBC junior middleweight beltholder Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and WBC middleweight titleholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

But Garcia himself is American. While Alvarez and Chavez Jr. require translators during interviews, Garcia (28-0, 24 knockouts) is bilingual and speaks English perfectly well.

In addition, Garcia lists WBC welterweight titlewinner and defensive wizard Floyd Mayweatther Jr. as his favorite boxer, and eschews what he calls the traditional Mexican "brawler" or "close quarters" style for a more comprehensive, cerebral approach which employs his defensive skills, power and range -- he stands nearly 5-foot-9 -- to their full collective potential.

So who is Mikey Garcia?

Most recently, he scored a seventh-round knockout of Bernabe Concepcion on the undercard of the Orlando Salido's-Juan Manuel Lopez rematch.

The win over Concepcion was the 12th stoppage win in Garcia's past 13 fights, and he'd love to continue that trend in a way that would endear him to Mexican fans, against the likes of Salido, Lopez, WBC beltholder Jhonny Gonzalez or WBA counterpart Celestino Caballero.

Garcia spoke to RingTV.com about his career aspirations in this Q&A.

RingTV.com: So I understand that your favorite fighter is Floyd Mayweather?

Mikey Garcia: My favorite fighter is Floyd Mayweather. I've always said that he was my favorite fighter since he was 130 pounds. I remember that my brother was champion at about the same time that Floyd had won his first title.

They had talked about Floyd Mayweather fighting my brother Robert right before my brother lost to Diego Corrales. I really didn't know about him much before that, but my brother lost to Diego, and then Floyd Mayweather fought Diego.

Floyd beat up on Diego, and after that performance against Corrales, I just felt that he was the best fighter at that time and at that division. Then, after Mayweather had moved up in weight, I just kept seeing him the same way.

I admired his technique, and his ability to adjust and to just be right there in front of you and you can't touch him. He can hit you whenever he wants to and his defense is just way above any other fighters. I just admire him. I admire his style.

I don't try to imitate him or copy him or anything like that because he's just naturally gifted in that area. He's a natural fighter like that and it's hard to imitate or copy that. But I do admire him and I always have thought that he's the best fighter. I still believe that he's the best fighter in the world.