Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC Fight Night 242: Burns vs. Brady is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 7, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. In this matchup on the fight card, Steve “Mean Machine” Garcia will take on Kyle “The Monster” Nelson in the Featherweight bout. You can view the complete UFC Fight Night 242 card.

Garcia brings a unique southpaw fighting stance with an 75″ reach. In contrast, Nelson, an switch fighter, stands with a 71″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 56% striking accuracy, Garcia has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 5 per minute. On the other hand, Nelson boasts a 45% striking accuracy, landing approximately 3.65 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 32-year-old, Steve Garcia is coming in with a 16-5-0 record. Garcia will be fighting for the first time since a win via KO/TKO against SeungWoo Choi at UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Jandiroba in July.

Nelson, meanwhile, is coming off a KO/TKO win against Steve Garcia on July 20, 2024, at UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield vs. Fiorot and holds a 16-5-1 record.

Steve Garcia has a southpaw fighting stance with an 75″ reach. The 33-year-old Kyle Nelson is an switch fighter with a 71″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Steve Garcia stats

→ Garcia’s striking accuracy is 56%.
→ Garcia lands 5 significant strikes per minute.
→ Garcia’s takedown accuracy is 40%.
→ Garcia’s takedown average is 1.27 per 15 minutes.
→ Garcia’s takedown defense is 88%.

Garcia comes in with 56% striking accuracy, typically landing about 5 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Nelson fires at 45% accuracy, landing about 3.65 significant strikes per minute. Steve Garcia also has a 40% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 1.27 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Nelson’s 1.1 takedowns and 73% takedown accuracy.

Kyle Nelson stats

→ Nelson’s striking accuracy is 45%.
→ Nelson lands 3.65 significant strikes per minute.
→ Nelson’s takedown accuracy is 20%.
→ Nelson’s takedown average is 1.1 per 15 minutes.
→ Nelson’s takedown defense is 73%.

Kyle spent, on average, 10:36 minutes in the Octagon, and Steve has an average fight time of 5:16 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be a good clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Steve or Kyle? Sound off in the comments.

You can view the scheduled UFC Fight Night 242 fight card, upcoming UFC schedule 2024, and latest MMA news.