Zayas vs Garcia Prediction, Odds, Tale of the Tape & Undercard (July. 26)

• Xander Zayas goes for his first world title against Jorge Garcia on Saturday
• The unbeaten Puerto Rican is a big -500 favorite in the latest boxing odds
• Read below for Zayas vs Garcia prediction, odds, tale of the tape, undercard and viewing info

The vacant WBO junior middleweight title is on the line when unbeaten prospect Xander Zayas meets Mexico’s Jorge Garcia at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, July 26th.

This title fight headlines a loaded ESPN card, with the main card kicking off at 9 p.m. ET. The current Zayas vs Garcia odds have the Puerto Rican as a 5-to-1 favorite to win his first world championship.

We’ve got our Zayas vs Garcia prediction ready, plus all the info on how to watch the fight and what else is on the card.

Zayas vs Garcia Prediction

Garcia punched his ticket to this title shot with a shocker split decision over previously unbeaten US Olympian Charles Conwell. That win proved he can hang with top-tier guys when it matters. Still, Zayas brings a whole different level of skills, speed, and ring IQ to the table.

The 22-year-old Zayas has been carefully groomed by Top Rank since signing at age 16 as their youngest fighter ever. He’s been in with all types: journeymen, former champs, tall guys, short guys, punchers, boxers, you name it. This will be his eighth appearance at Madison Square Garden and fourth straight headliner in the theater.

Garcia’s got a chin on him. He’s somehow never been dropped in 37 fights despite four losses. That toughness matters against Zayas, who doesn’t exactly carry dynamite in his gloves. The Mexican knows he can walk through Zayas’ shots and keep coming forward.

Expect Zayas to lean on his technical edge, utilizing cleaner boxing, a wider range of tools in his arsenal, and faster hands to outpoint Garcia over 12 rounds. His skill with body-head combos and counter-timing should make the difference.

The fight taps into that legendary Mexico vs Puerto Rico bad blood that’s given us so many wars over the years. I’m betting on Zayas by decision and the over 10.5 rounds, predicting that this fight will go the full 12 rounds.

Zayas vs Garcia Pick:

• Zayas to Win on Points (-150 at BetMGM)

Zayas vs Garcia Odds

The Zayas vs Garcia odds at BetMGM show the Puerto Rican prospect as a hefty -500 moneyline favorite, which means that he has an 83% chance of getting his hand raised. That’s typically what you see at sportsbooks when a can’t-miss prospect takes on a good but overmatched opponent.

Want to dig deeper than straight-up bets? Zayas by decision pays -150, which fits with what we know about his style and Garcia’s iron jaw. The over 10.5 rounds at -300 tells us the books think this one goes deep.

Looking for a bigger payout? Zayas to win in rounds 7-12 sits at +450, which could cash if he breaks Garcia down late. Garcia by KO or TKO pays +900. It’s a longshot, but this man has 26 knockouts, and Zayas hasn’t faced a serious power puncher yet.

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Zayas vs Garcia Tale of the Tape

The numbers show that Garcia packs more heat, with a 78.79% KO rate, compared to Zayas’ 61.9%. However, there is more to consider than just that. Zayas lets his hands go, throwing 67.8 punches per round, way above the 154-pound average of 55.5.

Garcia’s riding an eight-fight hot streak and has never been stopped, which speaks to his toughness. But Zayas has been stepping up his competition lately and won 11 youth national tournaments as an amateur, giving him a deeper bag of tricks.

The age gap favors Zayas at 22, just hitting his stride, while Garcia, at 28, is still in his prime but stepping way up in class.

Zayas vs Garcia Undercard

The co-main brings another unbeaten fighter as Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) battles Mateus Heita (14-0, 9 KOs) for the interim WBC featherweight title. Carrington, fighting out of Brooklyn, sits at No. 6 in ESPN’s featherweight rankings and went 4-0 in 2024.

Other fights worth watching:

• Emiliano Fernando Vargas (14-0) vs. Alexander Espinoza (20-3-1) – Super Lightweight
• Rohan Polanco (16-0) vs. Quinton Randall (15-2-1) – Welterweight
• Bakhodir Jalolov (15-0) vs. Gianmarco Cardillo (12-1-2) – Heavyweight
• Yan Santana (12-0) vs. Aaron Alameda (30-2) – Featherweight

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Jalolov makes his return after sitting out all of 2024, while Emiliano Vargas, son of former champ Fernando Vargas, shoots for 3-0 in 2025.

Zayas vs Garcia Fight Details + How to Watch

You can catch the action on ESPN and ESPN+. The ESPN+ streaming service costs $11.99 per month or $119.99 annually.

This belt opened up after Sebastian Fundora decided to vacate the WBO strap and take a rematch with Tim Tszyu instead of facing Zayas. The winner might get a crack at a unification bout with Fundora down the road, but these men have other business to handle first.