Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Calvin Kattar during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Calvin Kattar vs Steve Garcia Preview, Predictions And MMA Betting Odds

Get to know the betting odds, predictions and picks for the upcoming Calvin Kattar vs Steve Garcia fught at UFC Nashville!

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Calvin Kattar during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Every weekend, fighters step into the octagon knowing that one bad night can send them tumbling down the rankings faster than a dropped phone screen cracks. Calvin Kattar knows this feeling all too well right now. The Boston native finds himself in the most uncomfortable position of his career. He is riding a four fight losing streak that has fans wondering if ‘Father Time’ finally caught up with him.

Meanwhile, his opponent Steve Garcia is rolling through opponents like a hot knife through butter. He has collected performance bonuses and built momentum toward his first ranked opponent. When these two collide at UFC Nashville, something has to give.

Calvin Kattar vs Steve Garcia Preview

Calvin Kattar enters this bout as the more experienced fighter, but experience doesn’t always translate to victory when you’re absorbing punishment at an alarming rate. At 36 years old, Kattar has been in some absolute wars throughout his career, and those battles are starting to show. The stats tell a brutal story for Kattar. He’s landing strikes at just 38% accuracy while absorbing 6.62 strikes per minute. His striking defense sits at 53%, which sounds decent. However,Kattar’s takedown defense remains solid at 77%, but his offensive wrestling has never been his strong suit with just 0.36 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Steve Garcia presents a completely different picture. The southpaw has been surgical in his recent outings, landing 56% of his strikes while only absorbing 2.34 strikes per minute. Those numbers showcase a fighter who has figured out the distance game and timing that separates good fighters from great ones. His striking defense needs work at 46%.

Calvin Kattar vs Steve Garcia Betting Odds

The oddsmakers have spoken. According to Fanduel, Steve Garcia is the betting favorite at -126. Meanwhile, Calvin Kattar sits as the underdog at +108. These odds reflect the current form of both fighters rather than their career accomplishments. Garcia’s five-fight winning streak has caught the attention of oddsmakers, especially considering three of those victories earned him performance bonuses.

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The odds for the fight going the distance has also come out. The probability of the fight ending before the final bell is higher and the odds (-210) reflect that. The odds for the fight seeing the judges scorecards stand at +160.

Calvin Kattar vs Steve Garcia Predictions And Picks

Calvin Kattar’s best chance lies in his experience and veteran savvy. If he can weather Garcia’s early storm and drag him into deep waters, the cardio questions around Garcia might surface. However, Garcia has shown improved conditioning during his winning streak, and his ability to land clean shots early could prevent this from becoming a cardio battle.

Kattar’s defensive issues have become more pronounced with each passing fight, and Garcia possesses the exact skillset to exploit those weaknesses. His accuracy advantage is massive compared to Kattar.

If we bet on the fight, we are going with Steve Garcia to win the fight via unanimous decision.

(Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn Images)

Calvin Kattar

Steve Garcia

UFC Nashville

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!