Before Connor McGregor and Jose Aldo settle the score for the featherweight belt and Canadian Rory MacDonald takes his shot at Robbie Lawler for the welterweight strap, Alex Garcia will return to action against Mike Swick on the preliminary card at UFC 189 and he's ready for the spotlight.

"I like it better being on a big card, there's more expectation, more promotion and more people watching and I love that," Garcia told TSN.ca. "I was also part of UFC 171 (Hendricks vs. Lawler), which was also a big card and I did well.  The more promotion and more expectation and more I'm under pressure, the better I do."

The UFC 189 prelims can be see live, Saturday July 11th at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN5.

Garcia, who fights out of Montreal and trains at Tristar Gym with MacDonald, defeated Sean Spencer at that UFC 171 event on March 15, 2014.  He's had one fight since then, a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Neil Magny where he tore both his ACL and the meniscus in his knee during the first round.  Despite the injury, Garcia battled through three rounds of pain to reach the judges' scorecards.

Now, after 11 months on the sidelines, he's ready to return to fighting action.

"I'm super excited to get back into the octagon, it's been a long layoff," said Garcia. "I can't wait to get back in there and feel that rush that I love to feel."

Swick, Garcia's 36-year-old opponent, has had an even longer layoff, with his last bout coming in December of 2012.  Despite the long gap between bouts, and having dropped three of his last four fights, Garcia is expecting to see vintage Swick in the cage.

"Mike Swick is known to have great condition," said Garcia. "He's a great athlete who is always in shape, so I'm looking forward to seeing the best of Mike Swick, because coming off a long layoff; he's going to want to prove the world wrong."

Garcia and Swick might both be working their way back into the fighting groove but they have their trash talk in fine form.  After Swick said in a comeback video that he was going to open up Garcia's head like a coconut, the Santiago, Dominican Republic native unleashed this response.

To which Swick responded,

Garcia is not known for getting into verbal battles with opponents, but admits he likes the way this feels.

"This is the first time I'm trash talking with my opponent and I like it, I won't lie about it, it's good," said Garcia.  "It's extra motivation and I'm feeling good in the role."

Though he is enjoying the chirping, Garcia says he doesn't concern himself with how the fighters he's facing are preparing and instead focuses on his own plan.

 "I make sure I'm in great shape and that I can fight the fight I want," said Garcia. "I never worry about what they are going to do, I just do my own training camp and just be the best I can be so I can beat my opponent. "

"I always have motivation for my fights.  I'm always motivated to compete and to win because I believe I'm a winner.  I train hard and I'm always ready to fight."