The featherweight main card bout between Calvin Kattar and Steve Garcia is set for UFC on ESPN 70 on July 12, 2025, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a compelling striker’s battle between a seasoned technician seeking to halt a skid and a surging brawler with knockout power.

Calvin Kattar

Calvin Kattar is a battle-tested featherweight known for his crisp boxing, iron chin, and willingness to wade into brutal exchanges. Ranked #14 in the UFC featherweight division, Kattar is one of the most experienced and durable fighters in the class.

Kattar’s recent form, however, has been rough. He’s dropped three straight, most recently a unanimous decision loss to Youssef Zalal in February 2025. He also lost to Aljamain Sterling and suffered a knee injury TKO against Arnold Allen. Those setbacks followed a career-best win over Giga Chikadze in January 2022.

Despite his recent slide, Kattar’s tools remain dangerous: a powerful jab, excellent combinations, and underrated toughness in deep waters. But at 37, mileage and injuries may be catching up with him, particularly as he’s faced some of the division’s best over five-round wars.

Calvin Kattar – Last 5 Fights:

1. Loss vs. Youssef Zalal – Decision (Unanimous) (UFC Fight Night, February 15, 2025)
2. Loss vs. Aljamain Sterling – Decision (Unanimous) (UFC 300, April 13, 2024)
3. Loss vs. Arnold Allen – TKO (Knee Injury) (UFC Fight Night, October 29, 2022)
4. Loss vs. Josh Emmett – Decision (Split) (UFC on ESPN, June 18, 2022)
5. Win vs. Giga Chikadze – Decision (Unanimous) (UFC on ESPN, January 15, 2022)

At his best, Kattar is a volume puncher who breaks opponents down over time. But his slow starts and recent damage are worries against a quick finisher like Garcia.

Steve Garcia

Steve Garcia is an aggressive, hard-hitting featherweight who’s built a reputation as one of the division’s most entertaining brawlers. With 14 career knockouts in 17 wins, Garcia is a kill-or-be-killed striker who thrives on early pressure and chaos.

Garcia enters this fight riding a four-fight UFC win streak, all by stoppage—including recent first-round TKOs over Kyle Nelson and Choi Seung-woo. He’s also demonstrated the ability to fight up at lightweight, showcasing surprising physicality and finishing instincts.

His approach is simple but effective: swarm early with big shots, overwhelm opponents, and exploit any defensive lapses. While he’s sometimes vulnerable defensively (as seen in a 2022 KO loss to Maheshate), Garcia has improved his composure and shot selection over his current streak.

Steve Garcia – Last 5 Fights:

1. Win vs. Kyle Nelson – TKO (Elbows and Punches) (UFC Fight Night, September 7, 2024)
2. Win vs. Choi Seung-woo – TKO (Punches) (UFC on ESPN, July 20, 2024)
3. Win vs. Melquizael Costa – KO (Elbows) (UFC Fight Night, December 9, 2023)
4. Win vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke – TKO (Body Kick and Punches) (UFC 287, April 8, 2023)
5. Win vs. Chase Hooper – TKO (Punches) (UFC Fight Night, October 29, 2022)

Garcia’s all-offense style is tailor-made to test aging veterans—if he can force the pace early, he often secures a finish.

Prediction

This is a classic veteran vs. knockout artist matchup. Kattar is the far more polished boxer with proven five-round durability, but he’s also older and has lost four of his last five, including a TKO due to injury. Garcia, meanwhile, is in the best form of his career, scoring four straight finishes with increasingly refined aggression.

If Kattar can survive the early storm, he can pick Garcia apart with his jab, angles, and combinations, especially if the fight goes deep. But Garcia’s power, aggression, and finishing instincts make him a serious threat early—and Kattar has been too hittable lately to trust his chin against a fresh, hungry puncher.

Look for Garcia to pressure immediately, force exchanges in the pocket, and land something big in the first half of the fight.

Prediction:
Steve Garcia def. Calvin Kattar via TKO (Punches) in Round 1.

Expect an intense firefight early, with Garcia’s power and urgency proving decisive against a battle-worn Kattar who may struggle to weather the early onslaught.