Why Cicilio Flores could be the next strength & conditioning coach for Mikey Garcia

Cicilio Flores has been a strength and conditioning coach to some of the biggest names in the sport including Sergio Martinez, Kelly Pavlik, Marcos Maidana, Evgeny Gradovich, Manny Pacquiao, and more recently, one who many consider the top pound-for-pound fighter today, Vasyl Lomachenko.

However, after more than four years together, Flores announced last month that he was leaving Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KO's). One man's loss could be another man's gain.

Mikey Garcia will dare to be great as he takes on welterweight world titleholder Errol Spence Jr. at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Who would be better to bring back to the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy than Flores?

Flores was quoted in 2014 that among his world champion fighters, only Martinez and Pacquiao were on similar levels of self-discipline and hard work in training.

Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KO's), who turns 40 on Dec. 17, is boxing's only eight-division world champion. The 30-year-old Garcia (39-0, 30 KO's), was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, was a former sparring partner of Pacquiao, and has followed a similar career path to the Filipino up to this point. Garcia, one of the best world champions of his generation, has won world titles in four different weight classes and will attempt to get a fifth when he fights Spence.

Spence (24-0, 21 KO's), 28, who has held the IBF 147-pound world title since his May 2017 knockout of Kell Brook, is a prolific body puncher, and an absolute monster for his division. According to industry sources, Spence walks around between 200 and 220 pounds.

Garcia, who most recently held the lightweight title, also according to industry sources, is bringing a strength and conditioning coach for camp. The source was unable to provide any names, as the details are "top secret." But Flores would be a huge, smart acquisition.

Garcia outpointed Robert Easter Jr. in a lopsided lightweight world title unification in July, despite weighing 185 pounds before the start of training. It appears Garcia is closer to the 160-pound range right now, and by design.

With the addition of Flores, Garcia would likely be put on a strict organic diet. Chemical-free fish, vegetables, meat, Snac products, and other natural foods/ingredients, will likely be on the menu.

For a fight of this magnitude, Garcia is going to need it.