LAS VEGAS – It’s a startling admission from a 21-year-old fighter who one fight ago was ranked as the WBA’s No. 1 middleweight contender.

“This is my first real camp,” Elijah Garcia told BoxingScene Wednesday.

Garcia, 16-1 (13 KOs), was in line to become the next challenger to 41-year-old WBA champion Erislandy Lara of Cuba when he arrived at fight week here in June.

That was a month after he withdrew from a bout with Davis by explaining he was sick. By the time they fought, Garcia was sluggish and was defeated by split decision.

He explained that trying to raise a family and tend to household duties while also training for a major fight proved too overwhelming.

“Being in Arizona is a lot different. I’ve got my family, got my kids, my animals, my ranch, and then I’ve got my boxing,” Garcia said. “I’ve been in Las Vegas for eight months now and it’s nothing but sleep, eat, boxing. I’m prepared, I’m ready. It’s the best I’ve ever felt.”

Garcia, now No. 15 in the WBA rankings, meets recent title challenger Terrell Gausha, 24-4-1 (12 KOs), in a pivotal bout for both.

“I’ve been out of the ring for nine months, so I’m excited to get back in there and show the world how much I’ve improved,” Garcia said.

Gausha, 37, returns from that same June card, when he lost by unanimous decision to WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames.

On this Premier Boxing Champions’ Prime Video card, Garcia strives to bolster his position for a return shot at either Lara or Adames, with both promoted by PBC.

“I don’t see why not. I fell just as fast, so I don’t see why I can’t get back up there with those guys,” Garcia said. “It all starts Saturday night with a brilliant performance against a tough opponent.”

Garcia has stopped training under his father and united with Bob Santos, who has emphasized a rigorous, devoted effort to ensure Garcia is not fretting about his weight as these hours narrow to fight night.

Asked if he expects to fight any differently, Garcia said, “No. Last fight I had a bad performance and I just need to move on to the next. 

“You’ve got to come to camp. You’ve got to stay focused. Your weight has a lot to do with [success]. You’ve got to come in on weight.”

Considering he won every fight before the Davis bout caused some to marvel.

“A lot of [my past success] was just fighting my ass off,” Garcia said. “I was blessed with some real skills. I’m very dedicated.

“I’m not sure how good I am, but I train because I know there are better guys out there than me. So I train my ass off in the gym and that carries on. Here in Vegas, I wake up, my food’s ready, I go to the gym, we work on certain stuff, I go home, eat dinner. I focus on a lot more boxing things.”

Garcia’s promise remains. 

Should he conquer the 37-year-old Gausha, his turn to a fully committed mindset will be viewed as the reason for victory. 

“I’m a sore loser. I lost [in June]. I didn’t like it. I said, ‘I’ve got to get better,’” Garcia said.

“Bob has improved me all around. He cares about winning. He’s out there putting the work in. Now, it’s about making it a lifestyle. I can’t go home. I’ve got to stay active,” Garcia said.