Seungwoo Choi and Steve Garcia meet Saturday in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 60 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Seungwoo Choi vs. Steve Garcia UFC on ESPN 60 preview
Choi (11-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC) looks to keep the momentum going following a unanimous decision win over Jarno Errens last August. The result snapped a three-fight skid, which was the worst stretch of his UFC career. Prior to that, Choi won three straight. … Garcia (15-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) will compete for the first time in 2024, and is running hot as a winner of three straight fights, each by stoppage. On his run, Garcia has stopped Chase Hooper, Shayilan Nuerdanbieke and Melquizael Costa.
Seungwoo Choi vs. Steve Garcia UFC on ESPN 60 expert pick, prediction
With Junyong Park falling out of his fight with Brad Tavares at the 11th hour, the impromptu co-main event in Las Vegas will now feature a featherweight bout between Choi and Garcia.
Both fighters are absolute wildmen at heart, but I believe that Garcia being a southpaw puts an interesting fold in this fight.
Choi shows your standard approach of pawing w/a lead hand in order to unload power from the rear. He also tends to throw naked kicks, which opens up opps to hit him
Choi likes counter left hooks but does his best work in the open stance when countering the kicks of his opponents pic.twitter.com/m1yG9UjGZp
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) July 19, 2024
Aside from the fact that Choi is officially 0-2 against UFC-level southpaws, the Korean’s shot selection seems to be extra limited in open-stance affairs.
Add in the fact that Garcia seems to be coming into his own, and I can’t help but slightly lean toward the “Mean Machine” in this spot.
It should be a wild fight for as long as it lasts, but I’ll officially pick Garcia to force a standing stoppage by strikes late into Round 1.
Seungwoo Choi vs. Steve Garcia UFC on ESPN 60 odds
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the American fighter, listing Garcia -152 and Choi +124 via FanDuel.
Seungwoo Choi vs. Steve Garcia UFC on ESPN 60 start time, how to watch
As the co-main event, Choi and Garcia are expected to make their walks to the cage at approximately 10:05 p.m. ET (7:05 p.m. local time in Las Vegas). The fight airs on ESPN and streams live on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.
