Eridson Garcia didn’t steal anything in Riyadh. He took it the hard way, round by round, by forcing Taiga Imanaga into a kind of fight he’s never looked comfortable in. This was exposure. The kind that happens when someone refuses to let you fight your fight.
Imanaga came in wanting space. Long looks. Clean lanes. He’s at his best when he can touch, slide, reset, and control the rhythm. Garcia had no interest in any of that. From the opening bell, he crowded the pocket, leaned his weight forward, and made the ring feel small. No panic. No rush. Just pressure applied with intent.
This wasn’t pretty work. It was deliberate.
Where the Fight Actually Turned
Early on, Imanaga still had success. His jab found air and forehead. His timing looked sharp. But he was already working harder than he wanted to. Every reset came with a body touch. Every step back came with a shoulder in his chest. That kind of work doesn’t show on the scorecards early, but it adds up.
By the middle rounds, the rhythm shifted. Garcia stopped chasing and started waiting. He read the exit patterns. He let Imanaga step into range and met him with short hooks and cuffing shots that don’t look dramatic but steal balance. The legs went first. The snap followed.
That’s not luck. That’s pressure doing its job.
The knockdown wasn’t some lucky bomb. It came after minutes of leaning, nudging, and forcing Imanaga to work without rest. When the shot landed, his base was already gone. That’s what sustained pressure does when a fighter can’t reset cleanly.
What This Fight Exposed
For Garcia, this was a professional win. Not flashy. Not explosive. But controlled. He showed he can drag a fight into deep water and stay organized while doing it. That matters at this level.
For Imanaga, the questions get louder. He can box, but can he dictate terms against someone who refuses to give him space? When the rhythm breaks, he starts reacting instead of leading. That’s a ceiling problem, not a bad night.
This was about who could force their style when it mattered.
If Imanaga can’t solve pressure like this, the next step up only gets uglier. And if Garcia keeps this discipline, he becomes a problem for anyone who needs comfort to operate.