Steve Garcia
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The Read
Garcia is a pressure-heavy southpaw finisher who has rebuilt his career at featherweight after a rocky 1-2 UFC start, riding a seven-fight win streak — six by stoppage — into this bout. His game is built on volume left hands, elbows in the clinch and relentless follow-up ground-and-pound; 15 of his 19 wins come by knockout, and his last four finishes have all come inside two rounds. He landed 4.84 significant strikes per minute while absorbing only 2.45, and his 89% takedown defense has kept the fight where he wants it. The Onama main-event win in November 2025 was his most complete performance and vaulted him into the top ten.
The questions going into Diego Lopes are about level of competition and pace over distance. Garcia's resume is strong but his streak features few elite names — the Calvin Kattar decision is his marquee scalp, and most wins ended early, so there are open questions about how he holds up in a war past the second round. Lopes is a higher-volume, more dangerous grappler with title-fight experience, and Garcia's 59% striking defense suggests he can be hit. If Garcia can land first and drag Lopes into the chaotic, scrambly fight he thrives in, the finishing power is real; if it becomes a measured 25-minute chess match, the edge tilts away from him.
Next Fight
Record
Tap any fight for the breakdown.
Win
vs David OnamaTKO (punches) · R1 3:34
UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs. Onama
1 Nov 2025
1 Nov 2025
In his first UFC main event, Garcia overwhelmed the previously durable Onama from the opening minute, hurting him with repeated left hands and swarming for the first-round finish. It handed Onama the first stoppage loss of his career and extended Garcia's win streak to seven.
Key moments
- First UFC headliner and first main-event win for Garcia
- Dropped Onama with a clean left hand before the finishing flurry
- Stoppage at 3:34 of round one
- Earned Performance of the Night, a battle of top-15 ranked featherweights
Win
vs Calvin KattarDecision (unanimous) · R3
UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Garcia
12 Jul 2025
12 Jul 2025
Garcia went the distance for the first time in his streak, outworking the established contender Kattar over three rounds to take a unanimous decision. The win over a respected gatekeeper proved he could perform beyond his early-finish comfort zone.
Key moments
- Garcia's marquee win and best-known opponent to date
- Went the full three rounds, showing his cardio and distance game
- Unanimous-decision sweep on the scorecards
- Snapped Kattar in a key top-ranked featherweight matchup
Win
vs Kyle NelsonTKO (elbows and punches) · R1 3:59
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho
7 Sep 2024
7 Sep 2024
In a catchweight bout after Nelson missed weight, Garcia closed the show with elbows and punches in the first round. The performance earned him another Performance of the Night bonus.
Key moments
- Contested at a 148.5 lb catchweight after Nelson missed weight
- Finished with elbows and punches at 3:59 of round one
- Earned Performance of the Night
- Continued his run of consecutive first-round stoppages
Win
vs Seungwoo ChoiTKO (punches) · R1 1:36
UFC on ESPN: Namajunas vs. Cortez
20 Jul 2024
20 Jul 2024
Garcia needed less than two minutes to dispatch Choi, dropping him with punches and finishing on the ground. The quick knockout extended what was then the longest active KO streak in the UFC.
Key moments
- Finish in 1:36 — one of his fastest in the promotion
- Dropped Choi with punches and finished on the canvas
- Earned Performance of the Night
- Gave Garcia the longest active KO streak in the UFC at the time
Win
vs Melquizael CostaTKO (elbows) · R2 1:01
UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez
9 Dec 2023
9 Dec 2023
In a one-off lightweight bout, Garcia weathered a grinding opening round before opening up in the second, battering Costa with elbows and punches for a bloody finish. It marked a return to the win column and the start of his current featherweight title push.
Key moments
- Contested at lightweight, a one-fight move up from featherweight
- Survived a competitive first round before taking over
- Finished with brutal elbows that badly cut Costa
- Stoppage at 1:01 of round two
Signature Finishes
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