Steve Garcia was known to be a talented fighter, but that talent may now be on another level after pulling off a strong victory over Calvin Kattar at UFC Nashville -- guaranteeing him a spot in the featherweight rankings in the coming days.
Garcia controlled the action from the beginning with a mix of heavy leg kicks, wild combinations, and spinning attacks, overwhelming Kattar and making him crumble under the pressure.
Garcia continued to dictate the pace in the second, focused on body shots and bloodying Kattar up with his jab. Kattar tried to bring up the intensity with the vintage striking we've seen from him, but Garcia consistently got the better of him in every exchange.
Garcia turned up the aggression still in the third round, rocking Kattar with a left hand and body strikes, not letting up on the gas as he hunted for the finish. Kattar tried to rally back but was blocked again.
Garcia didn't get the finish, which would have been his sixth straight KO/TKO, but he did sweep the judges' scorecards.
Steve Garcia Scores Decision In All-Around Performance vs. Calvin Kattar At UFC Nashville
Garcia has now won six straight, a stretch that began with his featherweight debut in a win over Chase Hooper at UFC Vegas 63 in October 2022.
Kattar has now lost five straight and six of his last seven -- just one win since his loss to Max Holloway in January 2021.