The California State Athletic Commission will formally accept the resignation of Executive Officer Armando Garcia at a commission meeting on Nov. 18 in Los Angeles, according to a notice posted on the CSAC Web site. Garcia left the position he held for over three years this week, Sherdog.com has learned.
The commission will also name an interim executive officer and appoint a search committee to review candidates for Garcia’s replacement on Nov. 18, according to the agenda notes.
Numerous commission-hired employees who asked not to be identified confirmed to Sherdog.com on Saturday that Garcia had left the post, but were not given details of his exit. Sherdog.com corresponded with Garcia via email as late as Thursday to discuss the CSAC’s decision to suspend the promoter licenses of Pro Elite and King of the Cage last Wednesday.
Commission representatives declined to comment on Garcia’s departure at a state-regulated MMA event on Saturday in Fresno, Calif. Representatives said an official statement from the Dept. of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the commission, would be issued shortly.
With nearly 20 years of experience as a boxing referee and judge, Garcia was appointed as executive officer for the CSAC in mid 2005. In his tenure, he was instrumental in the passage of MMA regulations in California in late 2005 and oversaw the first regulated event in March 2006 with Strikeforce “Shamrock vs. Gracie,” which held the North American attendance record for one year with 18,265 spectators.
Garcia was also at the center of the controversial steroid suspensions of former UFC lightweight champion
Sean Sherk, Strikeforce participant
Phil Baroni, and most recently, in the one-year suspension of EliteXC heavyweight champion
Antonio Silva.
In an interview with BoxingInsider.com in August 2008, Garcia said he had regulated over 500 boxing and MMA events in California during his three-year tenure.
“Commission revenue the year before I took over the job was at about $441K,” Garcia told BoxingInsider.com. “In my first year we went to $1.3 million, the next one $1.6 million and then this tremendous $2 million plus year.”
Garcia was not immediately available for comment.
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