Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC Fight Night 242

Steve Garcia and Kyle Nelson meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 242 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

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Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson UFC Fight Night 242 preview

After experiencing some growing pains in the UFC, Garcia (16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has found his stride. Garcia went 1-2 in his first three fights in the UFC, but since then, he has won four straight, including two first-round finishes and two second-round stoppages. In his last outing, in July, Garcia stopped Seung Woo Choi in 96 seconds after a barrage of punches. … Nelson (16-5-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC) is also on a hot streak as of late. His UFC carer began with a rough stretch as well, going 1-4 in his first five appearances. He’s since won three straight, including a first-round stoppage of Bill Algeo in his last fight in March.

Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson UFC Fight Night 242 expert pick, prediction

Serving as another solid but impromptu offering on the main card is a featherweight action fight between Nelson and Garcia.

Nelson was initially scheduled to face Calvin Kattar, but will instead meet Garcia on roughly four weeks’ notice. However, despite technically having more time to prepare, Nelson found himself coming in a couple of pounds over the 146-pound limit for this contest.

I’m not sure how much that will affect Nelson’s performance given that he’s going against a fellow fast-starting featherweight, but I also don’t expect this fight to look very pretty if it gets past the first round.

It’s hard to know how Nelson will fair against southpaws since winning a split decision over Jonathan Brookins on the regionals was his only UFC-level sample in that department, but I suspect that Nelson’s durability, clinch game and counters will serve him well in this spot.

It’s hard not to be a fan of Garcia’s brand of southpaw violence, but I’ll semi-reluctantly side with Nelson to weather the storm and score in knockout in Round 2.

Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson UFC Fight Night 242 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the short-notice fighter, listing Garcia -188 and Nelson +152 via FanDuel.

Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson UFC Fight Night 242 start time, how to watch

As the feature main card bout, Garcia and Nelson are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 8:05 p.m. ET (5:05 p.m. PT). The fight will air on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.