Rafa Garcia and Jared Gordon meet on the main card of UFC Fight Night 259 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Rafa Garcia vs. Jared Gordon Noche UFC preview
Garcia (17-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) aims to keep momentum on his side following a return to the win column in March. The unanimous decision nod over Vinc Pichel helped erase the sting of a second-round finish loss to Grant Dawson last October. Gordon (21-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is in a similar position, having bounced back from a split decision loss to Nasrat Haqparast last June by stopping Thiago Moises in the opening round in May.
Rafa Garcia vs. Jared Gordon Noche UFC expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card is a lightweight matchup between Jared Gordon and Rafa Garcia.
Despite arguably beating Paddy Pimblett in one of the biggest robberies of 2022 and having a legitimate argument to be on a five-fight winning streak, the matchmakers are making Gordon put his momentum on the line against the durable Garcia.
Although Garcia is underrated in his own right, the Mexican fighter’s best areas are unfortunately areas that Gordon also specializes in. Moreover, Gordon has proven to be the more skillful and potent finisher in multiple phases of the fight.
Sure, Gordon can be susceptible to being stomped out by superior athletes and big punchers, but I don’t believe that Garcia fits that bill.
The pick is Gordon by TKO in Round 3.
Rafa Garcia vs. Jared Gordon Noche UFC odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the American, listing Gordon -240 and Garcia +190 via FanDuel.
Rafa Garcia vs. Jared Gordon Noche UFC start time, how to watch
Garcia and Gordon are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 7:40 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on ESPN+.
