Steve Garcia

Last updated
Steve Garcia
BornEstevan Garcia Jr. [1]
(1992-05-22) May 22, 1992 (age 33)
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Other namesMean Machine
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st)
Division Lightweight
Featherweight
Bantamweight
Reach75 in (190 cm)
Fighting out of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, U.S.
Team Jackson's MMA
Years active2013–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total24
Wins19
By knockout15
By decision4
Losses5
By knockout1
By submission1
By decision3
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Estevan Garcia Jr. (born May 22, 1992), known as Steve Garcia, is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2013, he has previously competed in Bellator's bantamweight division. As of November 4, 2025, he is #8 in the UFC featherweight rankings. [2]

Contents

Background

Inspired by his friends, Garcia initially started training mixed martial arts at Greg Jackson's satellite gym at the age of 15. He then went on to train jiu-jitsu and kickboxing at Luttrell's MMA before moving to Jackson-Wink MMA. [3]

Mixed martial arts career

Bellator MMA

Garcia was expected to make his Bellator debut against Shawn Bunch at Bellator 97 on July 31, 2013, but he withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Russell Wilson. [4] The bout with Bunch was later rescheduled for Bellator 105 on October 25, 2013, where Garcia won via TKO in the third round. [5]

After signing a new deal with the promotion, [6] Garcia faced Cody Walker at Bellator 121 on June 6, 2014, and secured a knockout victory just 39 seconds into the first round. [7] He next fought Kin Moy at Bellator 123 on September 5, 2014, winning by split decision. [8]

Garcia continued his momentum with a first-round TKO win over Eduardo Bustillos at Bellator 143 on September 25, 2015. [9] However, at Bellator 151 on March 4, 2016, he suffered the first loss of his professional career, dropping a split decision to Ricky Turcios. [10]

He rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Ronnie Lawrence at Bellator 162 on October 21, 2016. Garcia was then scheduled to face Joe Taimanglo at Bellator 174 on March 3, 2017, but the bout was removed from the card after Taimanglo missed weight. [11]

Garcia returned at Bellator 181 on July 14, 2017, where he lost to veteran Joe Warren by unanimous decision. [12] On February 20, 2018, it was announced that Bellator had released Garcia from the promotion. [13]

Contender Series

Garcia appeared on Dana White's Contender Series 25, where he faced Desmond Torres. He won the bout via first-round TKO, but was not awarded a UFC contract due to missing weight. [14]

Legacy Fighting Alliance

Following his appearance on the Contender Series, Garcia signed with Legacy Fighting Alliance. He made his promotional debut against Jose Mariscal, earning a second-round TKO victory. [14]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Garcia made his UFC debut on February 29, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 169, stepping in to replace Alex Muñoz against Luis Peña. [15] He lost the bout via unanimous decision. [16]

He was next scheduled to face Peter Barrett at UFC Fight Night 174 on August 8, 2020, [17] but withdrew from the fight on July 25 for undisclosed reasons.Youssef Zalal tepped in as his replacement. [18]

Garcia was booked to fight Charles Jourdain on March 13, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 187, [19] but withdrew for unknown reasons. Marcelo Rojo took his place on the card. [20]

Returning to action, Garcia faced Charlie Ontiveros on October 9, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 194, [21] securing a second-round technical knockout victory. [22]

He was scheduled to fight Damir Hadžović at UFC Fight Night 205 on April 23, 2022, [23] but the bout was cancelled due to Hadžović experiencing visa issues. [24]

Garcia then competed against Hayisaer Maheshate on June 11, 2022 at UFC 275, [25] where he suffered a first-round knockout loss. [26]

On October 29, 2022, Garcia rebounded with a first-round TKO win over Chase Hooper at UFC Fight Night 213, [27] He won the fight via TKO in the first round. [28] earning his first Performance of the Night bonus. [29]

At UFC 287 on April 8, 2023, Garcia faced Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. [30] Despite being knocked down early, he rallied to win via second-round TKO with a body kick followed by ground and pound. [31]

Garcia was slated to fight Sean Woodson at UFC on ESPN 50 on August 5, 2023, [32] but withdrew due to injury. [33] He was then scheduled to face Melquizael Costa on December 2, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 52, [34] but pulled out the day before due to illness. [35] The bout was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 233 on December 9, 2023, [36] where Garcia won by second-round knockout. [37]

On July 20, 2024, Garcia faced Seung Woo Choi at UFC on ESPN 60, [38] winning by first-round technical knockout and earning another Performance of the Night award. [39] [40]

Replacing Calvin Kattar, Garcia fought Kyle Nelson on September 7, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 242. [41] Nelson missed weight, coming in at 148.5 pounds. As a result, the bout proceeded at catchweight, and he was fined 20 percent of his purse, which was awarded to Garcia. [42] Garcia won via first-round TKO with elbows and punches, earning yet another Performance of the Night award. [43] [44]

Garcia was scheduled to face Edson Barboza on February 22, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 252, [45] but the fight was cancelled after Barboza withdrew due to injury. [46] [47]

Garcia returned to face Calvin Kattar on July 12, 2025 at UFC on ESPN 70, [48] winning the bout by unanimous decision. [49]

Garcia faced David Onama in the main event on November 1, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 263. [50] He won by technical knockout in the first round, handing Onama his first loss by stoppage. [51] This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award. [52]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
24 matches19 wins5 losses
By knockout151
By submission01
By decision43
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Win19–5 David Onama TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs. Onama November 1, 202513:34 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesPerformance of the Night.
Win18–5 Calvin Kattar Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs. Teixeira July 12, 202535:00 Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Win17–5 Kyle Nelson TKO (elbows and punches) UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Brady September 7, 202413:59 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesCatchweight (148.5 lb) bout; Nelson missed weight. Performance of the Night.
Win16–5 Choi Seung-woo TKO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Lemos vs. Jandiroba July 20, 202411:36 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesPerformance of the Night.
Win15–5Melquizael CostaKO (elbows) UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutiérrez December 9, 202321:01 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesLightweight bout.
Win14–5 Shayilan Nuerdanbieke KO (body kick and punches) UFC 287 April 8, 202320:36 Miami, Florida, United States
Win13–5 Chase Hooper TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Allen October 29, 202211:32 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesReturn to Featherweight. Performance of the Night.
Loss12–5Maheshate HayisaerKO (punch) UFC 275 June 11, 202211:14 Kallang, Singapore
Win12–4Charlie OntiverosTKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez October 8, 202121:51 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss11–4 Luis Peña Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo February 29, 202035:00 Norfolk, Virginia, United StatesLightweight debut.
Win11–3Jose MariscalTKO (knee and elbows) LFA 80 January 17, 202022:27 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Win10–3Desmond TorresTKO (punches and elbows) Dana White's Contender Series 25 August 20, 201914:35 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesBantamweight bout; Garcia missed weight (139 lb).
Win9–3Andrew WhitneyTKO (punches)Jackson Wink Fight Night 5May 10, 201913:27 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Win8–3 Abel Cullum Decision (unanimous)Jackson Wink Fight Night 4November 30, 201835:00 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United StatesBantamweight bout.
Loss7–3Aalon CruzSubmission (rear-naked choke)Jackson Wink Fight Night 3June 2, 201811:47 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United StatesFeatherweight debut.
Loss7–2 Joe Warren Decision (unanimous) Bellator 181 July 14, 201735:00 Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States
Win7–1Ronnie LawrenceDecision (unanimous) Bellator 162 October 21, 201635:00 Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Loss6–1Ricky TurciosDecision (split) Bellator 151 March 4, 201635:00 Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States
Win6–0Eduardo BustillosTKO (punches) Bellator 143 September 25, 201514:59 Hidalgo, Texas, United States
Win5–0 Kin Moy Decision (split) Bellator 123 September 5, 201435:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win4–0Cody WalkerKO (punch) Bellator 121 June 6, 201410:39 Thackerville, Oklahoma, United StatesCatchweight (140 lb) bout.
Win3–0Klay GuyTKO (punches)Triple A MMA 4January 16, 201421:14 Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Win2–0 Shawn Bunch TKO (punches) Bellator 105 October 25, 201333:29 Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States
Win1–0Alan LermaTKO (punches)Triple A MMA 1April 28, 201321:52 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United StatesBantamweight debut.

[54]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Resultados del espectáculo de artes marciales mixtas Fecha: 20 de agosto de 2019
  2. ↑ "UFC Rankings - The Official UFC App - UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  3. ↑ Alexander K. Lee (February 29, 2020). "Steve Garcia dug out of mental hole ahead of short-notice debut at UFC Norfolk". mmafighting.com.
  4. ↑ Phillip Lujan (July 23, 2013). "Bellator 97: Russell Wilson steps in on short notice, replaces Steve Garcia against Shawn Bunch". swfight.com.
  5. ↑ Staff (October 26, 2013). "Bellator 105 results: Brooks and Sarnavskiy book tourney-final date". mmajunkie.com.
  6. ↑ Shaun Al-Shatti (May 22, 2014). "Sokoudjou, undefeated Russian heavyweight Dmitriy Sosnovskiy among new Bellator signings". mmafighting.com.
  7. ↑ Staff (June 6, 2014). "Bellator 121 results: Lins, Thompson and Sokoudjou earn first-round wins". mmajunkie.com.
  8. ↑ "Steve Garcia vs. Kin Moy". sherdog.com. September 5, 2014.
  9. ↑ Juon, Steve (25 September 2015). "Bellator 143 'Warren vs Davis' results: Live streaming play-by-play updates TONIGHT on Spike TV". mmamania.com. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Mike (4 March 2016). "Ricky Turcios Defeats Steve Garcia On Bellator 151 Prelims". mikethetruth.com. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  11. ↑ Mike Bohn (March 2, 2017). "Kendall Grove-Mike Rhodes, Joe Taimanglo-Steve Garcia scratched from Bellator 174". mmajunkie.com.
  12. ↑ John Morgan (July 14, 2017). "Bellator 181 results: Derek Campos scores trilogy win over Brandon Girtz in blood-soaked instant classic". mmajunkie.com.
  13. ↑ Guilherme Cruz (2018-02-20). "Bellator trims roster, parts ways with 13 fighters". mmafighting.com.
  14. 1 2 "Steve Garcia: UFC Bound". 10 February 2020.
  15. ↑ Nolan King (2020-02-24). "Steve Garcia replaces Alex Munoz, takes on Luis Pena at UFC on ESPN+ 27". mmajunkie. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  16. ↑ Bitter, Shawn (2020-02-29). "UFC Norfolk Results: Luis Pena Earns Decision Over Steve Garcia". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
  17. ↑ Lee, Alexander K. (2020-07-03). "Peter Barrett vs. Steve Garcia added to Aug. 8 UFC event". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  18. ↑ DNA, MMA (2020-07-25). "Youssef Zalal pakt short notice gevecht tegen Peter Barrett op 8 augustus". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  19. ↑ DNA, MMA (2021-01-17). "Charles Jourdain treft Steve Garcia Jr. tijdens UFC evenement op 13 maart 2021". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  20. ↑ Mike Heck (2021-02-24). "With Steve Garcia out, Charles Jourdain now meets Marcelo Rojo at UFC Vegas 21". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  21. ↑ DNA, MMA (2021-08-06). "Charlie Ontiveros en Steve Garcia Jr. vechten voor eerste UFC overwinning op 9 oktober". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  22. ↑ Evanoff, Josh (2021-10-09). "UFC Vegas 39 Results: Steve Garcia TKO's Charlie Ontiveros In Bloody Fight". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  23. ↑ "Fight Site - Damir Hadžović uskoro ponovno u Octagonu, čeka ga pobjednik jedne od najluđih prošlogodišnjih borbi". fightsite.hr (in Croatian). 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  24. ↑ "Steve Garcia vs. Damir Hadzovic is OFF of UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade due to travel issues on Hadzovic's side". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  25. ↑ "马合沙特首秀确定 将与张伟丽一起出战UFC275_PP视频体育频道". www.ppsport.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  26. ↑ Bitter, Shawn (2022-06-11). "UFC 275: Debuting Maheshate Floors Steve Garcia". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  27. ↑ Nolan King (2022-08-03). "UFC fights added to Oct. 29 event". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  28. ↑ Theodosi, Jamie (2022-10-29). "UFC Vegas 63: Steve Garcia Spoils the Party with First Round KO of Chase Hooper". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  29. 1 2 Staff (2022-10-29). "UFC Fight Night 213 bonuses: Tresean Gore's ultra-violent choke finish is a $50,000 winner". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  30. ↑ Mike Heck (2023-01-21). "Shayilan Nuerdanbieke vs. Steve Garcia set for UFC 287". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  31. ↑ Dewar, Val (2023-04-08). "UFC 287: Steve Garcia Gets Knocked Down, Comes Back to Finish Shayilan Nuerdanbieke With Body Shots". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  32. ↑ Anderson, Jay (20 June 2023). "Jeremiah Wells vs. Carlston Harris, Sean Woodson vs. Steve Garcia Announced for UFC Nashville". Cageside Press. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  33. ↑ News Desk (2023-07-19). "Sean Woodson vs Jesse Butler set for Aug 5 UFC event". itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  34. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Steve Garcia and Melquizael Costa Slated to Clash at UFC Fight Night in Austin on Dec. 2". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  35. ↑ Matt Erickson (2023-12-01). "Steve Garcia illness before weigh-ins scraps fight vs. Melquizael Costa at UFC on ESPN 52". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  36. ↑ News Desk (2023-12-03). "Steve Garcia Jr. vs Melquizael Costa Reported for UFC Vegas 83". itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  37. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2023-12-10). "UFC Vegas 83: Steve Garcia Batters Melquizael Costa After Grinding Opening Round". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  38. ↑ Riggs, Drake (2024-05-24). "Morning Report: Tom Aspinall 'putting it all on the line' in 'lose-lose' matchup against Curtis Blaydes". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  39. ↑ Val Dewar (2024-07-20). "Steve Garcia Snags Longest Active UFC KO Streak With KO Of Choi". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  40. 1 2 Chris Taylor (2024-07-20). "UFC Vegas 94 Bonus Report: Steve Garcia one of four fighters to take home $50k". bjpenn.com. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  41. ↑ Damon Martin (2024-08-03). "With Calvin Kattar out, Steve Garcia steps in to face Kyle Nelson at UFC Vegas 97". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  42. ↑ Tyler Treese (2024-09-06). "UFC Fight Night 242 Weigh-in Results: 2 Fighters Heavy". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  43. ↑ Cade Morehouse (2024-09-07). "Steve Garcia Scores 5th Straight Knockout At UFC Vegas 97". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  44. 1 2 Andrew Richardson (2024-09-07). "Bonuses! Natalia Silva, Jessica Andrade bank bonus $50k for Flyweight barnburner - UFC Vegas 97". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  45. ↑ Damon Martin (2024-11-12). "Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia booked for UFC Fight Night event on Feb. 22". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  46. ↑ MMA Junkie Staff (2025-02-13). "Edson Barboza out of UFC Seattle fight vs. Steve Garcia". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  47. ↑ Jay Pettry (2024-12-13). "UPDATED UFC Seattle Lineup Shifts Due to Injury, New Added Matches". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  48. ↑ Nolan King (2025-05-06). "UFC books Calvin Kattar vs. Steve Garcia for Nashville". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  49. ↑ Brett Cagle (2025-07-12). "UFC Nashville: Steve Garcia Secures Biggest Win Yet, Beats Calvin Kattar". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  50. ↑ Alexander K. Lee (2025-09-20). "Featherweight main event targeted for UFC Vegas 110". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
  51. ↑ Eddie Law (2025-11-01). "Steve Garcia Makes Top Contender Statement, Finishes David Onama". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2025-11-01.
  52. 1 2 Dan Hiergesell (2025-11-02). "Bonuses! Waldo Cortes-Acosta's wild comeback knockout finish leads $50K winners - UFC Vegas 110". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  53. ↑ Mike Bohn (2024-09-08). "UFC Fight Night 242 post-event facts: Jessica Andrade makes history in Fight of the Night defeat". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  54. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Steve". Sherdog. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
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