Steve Garcia

Overview

Seven of Steve Garcia's eight UFC wins came by knockout, and none by submission. The southpaw featherweight out of Jackson Wink MMA Academy in New Mexico is 8-3 in the UFC, a record that reads like a knockout reel with three losses attached.

Every one of those seven stoppages ended in the first or second round. The eighth win went the distance. Garcia is a finisher first, and the data says little else about how he wins.

He carries a one-fight losing streak into his next bout.

UFC Career

Garcia first appeared on the Contender Series, where he beat Desmond Torres by KO/TKO in round 1 at 4:35. That fight isn't part of his UFC record. His UFC debut came on Feb. 28, 2020, and it went the wrong way: a three-round unanimous decision loss to Luis Pena.

Then came a long gap. His next UFC fight arrived in October 2021, a second-round TKO of Charlie Ontiveros. In June 2022 he was stopped by Maheshate in round 1 at 1:14, the quickest of his three UFC losses.

What followed was his best stretch: seven straight wins, his longest UFC streak. Six of them were knockouts:

• Chase Hooper: round 1, 1:32
• Shayilan Nuerdanbieke: round 2, 0:36
• Melquizael Costa: round 2, 1:01
• SeungWoo Choi: round 1, 1:36
• Kyle Nelson: round 1, 3:59
• David Onama: round 1, 3:34

The seventh win was a unanimous decision over Calvin Kattar in July 2025, his only UFC win that didn't end in a stoppage.

The Onama fight was a main event, and our model rates Onama a strong opponent. Garcia finished him in round 1 at 3:34, the last win of the streak.

The streak ended against Diego Lopes, another strong opponent by our model, at UFC Freedom 250. Garcia was stopped in round 2 at 2:42, the second KO/TKO loss of his UFC career.

Eight wins, three losses, and two of the losses ended in knockouts.

Fighting Style

Garcia is a busy striker who is hard to hit. He throws and lands at a high rate while taking little in return, and his defense is a big part of why. His accuracy is about the UFC average, so the edge comes from volume and from not getting hit more than from pinpoint precision.

He rarely shoots for takedowns and doesn't hunt for submissions. Opponents also have a hard time taking him down, so fights tend to stay on the feet.

The finish pattern matches. All seven of his stoppage wins came by knockout or TKO, four in round 1 and three in round 2. He hasn't needed the later rounds.

Two of his three losses also ended by knockout, so he can be hurt.

Notable Wins

• David Onama — KO/TKO, round 1, UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs Onama (2025), in the main event against a strong opponent by our model's tiers
• Calvin Kattar — unanimous decision, UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Teixeira (2025), his only UFC win to go the distance
• Kyle Nelson — KO/TKO, round 1, UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Brady (2024), at 3:59
• Chase Hooper — KO/TKO, round 1, UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Allen (2022), which opened the seven-fight streak

Quick Facts

• Division: Featherweight
• UFC record: 8-3 (7 KO/TKO wins, 1 decision)
• Professional record (all promotions): 19-6-0
• UFC debut: 2020
• Stance: Southpaw
• Height / reach: 6'0" / 75"
• Team: Jackson Wink MMA Academy - NM
• Born: Albuquerque, NM, United States