Kyle (The Monster) Nelson celebrates after his fight against Blake Bilder during a UFC 289 featherweight bout, in Vancouver, on Saturday, June 10, 2023. American Steve (Mean Machine) Garcia has replaced the injured Calvin (The Boston Finisher) Kattar as the opponent for Canadian featherweight Nelson on a Sept. 7 UFC Fight Night card. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
American Steve (Mean Machine) Garcia has replaced the injured Calvin (The Boston Finisher) Kattar as the opponent for Canadian featherweight Kyle (The Monster) Nelson on a Sept. 7 UFC Fight Night card.
Garcia (16-5-0) has won his last four UFC bouts, all by stoppages, after losing two of his first three fights in the mixed martial arts promotion.
The main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas pits Brazil’s Gilbert Burns, ranked fifth among welterweight contenders, against No. 8 Sean Brady of the United States.
The 36-year-old Kattar (23-8-0) last fought at UFC 300 in April when he lost a decision to former UFC bantamweight championAljamain Sterling. Kattar who has won five fight of the night bonuses from the UFC in his career, has lost his last three bouts and four of his last five, albeit against elite opposition
Nelson (16-5-1) is unbeaten in his last four UFC outings (3-0-1) with wins over American Bill (Senor Perfecto) Algeo, Mexico’s Fernando (The Brave) Padilla and American Blake (El Animal) Bilder and a draw with (The Korean Superboy) Doo Ho Choi.
The 33-year-old Nelson, who calls Huntsville, Ont., home but divides his time with his training base in Stoney Creek, Ont., lost four of his first five UFC outings.
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2024
