Who is Elijah Garcia? Everything we know about the 21-year-old southpaw set to fight on the undercard of Sebastian Fundora's headliner

Next Saturday on March 22, Elijah Garcia takes on Terrell Gausha in a middleweight bout that is scheduled to serve as the feature fight on the Sebastian Fundora vs. Chordale Booker card. But what exactly can fans expect come fight from Garcia? He is a relative unknown to casual followers of the sport.

Only hardcore fans of 'The Sweet Science' are familiar with him. The same is true for his opponent, Gausha. The difference, though, is their age. While Gausha is a seasoned boxer in the twilight years of his career, Garcia is a rising prospect regarded as a deep well of potential.

So, why is he so highly regarded? Moreover, what is his background?

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Who is Elijah Garcia?

Born on April 26, 2003, Elijah Garcia is a young 21-year-old from Glendale, Arizona, United States. As a child, he competed in a wide range of sports, and even dabbled in wrestling. Ironically, it was grappling that led him to boxing, as a wrestling injury had left him sidelined for longer than he could stomach.

Determined to keep himself busy, Garcia joined a boxing gym and hasn't looked back since. Under the guidance of his father and grandfather, both of whom were boxers, he flourished. Unlike most boxers who have long amateur careers to sharpen their skills with little consequence to their record, Garcia had a short stint.

At the tender age of 16, he became a father. Amateur boxing would no longer suffice. Not only was he facing a revolving door of the same opponents, but to support his newborn son, he needed the kind of money promised only by his professional career.

Now, Garcia is a father of two and looking to climb to the top of the boxing world.

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Exploring Elijah Garcia's professional boxing career

Since he turned pro early, Elijah Garcia already has 17 professional fights under his belt at just 21 years old. He has yet to fight for a world title, but has authored an impressive 16-1 run, with 13 stoppages to his name. Not only is he powerful, his speed is blinding, and his skills are razor sharp.

Check out an Elijah Garcia highlight:

However, after being unbeaten in his first 16 fights, during which he captured the WBC Latino middleweight title, he faced Kyrone Davis on the Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin undercard. Despite lacking the punching power to threaten Garcia, Kyrone defeated him via split-decision.

Now, Garcia is aiming to bounce back from his first-ever loss by taking on Terrell Gausha next Saturday in a middleweight bout.