John Garza gets homecoming for second UFC bout
· Yahoo Sports
John Garza has his second UFC fight booked after an impressive first outing – and this one comes at home.
Visit newsbetsport.bond for more information.
UFC Fight Night 296 kicks off the promotion's calendar Jan. 16. Garza (6-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will battle Japan's Toshiomi Kazama (11-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in a featherweight bout at American Airlines Center.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Nicknamed "Mowgli," Garza traded in his custom tiger print shorts for Venum ones when he got the short notice assignment in July. Garza, 24, stepped in on days' notice to face Farid Basharat and put forth a competitive performance. Ultimately, he lost by unanimous decision but gained many fans for his efforts.
Kazama, 29, has not competed since August 2025 when he lost by slam to Elijah Smith. Prior to that bout, he picked up his first UFC win: a second-round submission of Charalampos Grigoriou.
The UFC Dallas fight card includes:
- Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Chidi Njokuani
- Chris Curtis vs. Geoff Neal
- Diego Ferreira vs. MarQuel Mederos
- John Garza vs. Toshiomi Kazama
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: John Garza gets homecoming for second UFC bout