5 Things You Need to Know About Calvin Kattar

Calvin Kattar will fight Max Holloway on the first UFC card for 2021. ‘The Boston Finisher‘ will feature in his 3rd UFC main event against the former featherweight champion Holloway. Considering the striking style of both the fighters, the bout is set to be a cracker.

Before the blockbuster card on January 16th, here we take a look at the 5 things you need to know about him.

1. Kattar trained with the Diaz brothers

Kattar got a chance to train with the famous Diaz brothers when he was only 19 years old. Seeing them train influenced his way of training. “I got like three bloody noses a day. I’m out there dogging it out. I’m by myself. But it was a great opportunity. Long term I was able to see these guys and how they train on the West Coast. Watching the Diaz brothers train at 1 a.m. and realizing you can lie to yourself and say guys aren’t training like that, but somewhere they are. I was exposed to that, which is great,” said Kattar.

Nick and Nate Diaz are two legends of MMA. Having the experience to train with them at a tender age certainly gave Kattar massive motivation to build his career.

2. Kattar went on an 8-year winning streak

Kattar started his winning streak in 2010 in regional circuits. He joined the UFC in 2017, as he fought Andre Fili at UFC 214. He won his first two UFC bouts. Subsequently, he dropped a decision against Renato Carneiro. It was his first professional loss in over 8 years.

3. Kattar’s UFC debut was uncalled for

Despite his accolades in regional circuits, Kattar was rather unknown to MMA fans. In fact, he wasn’t called by the UFC until Doo-Ho-Choi had to pull out of his bout against Andre Fili at UFC 214. ‘The Boston Finisher’ was brought in to make Fili stay on the card and raise his stocks.

Instead, Kattar made the most of this opportunity. He showed off his insane boxing skills and won every round against a bright prospect in Fili. He went from a relatively unknown fighter to every fan’s radar with just one performance. Another sensational stoppage win over the division’s dark horse Shane Burgos made him an instant fan favorite.

4. Kattar’s first UFC main-event came in 2019

Kattar was scheduled to headline UFC’s Boston card in his hometown against Dagestani prospect Zabit Magomedsharipov. But things took a turn to the opposite. The bout got rescheduled to Moscow on Magomedsharipov’s home soil. It was a career-defining bout for the Boston fighter.

Even though Kattar lost the fight by decision, he showed late flashes of his brilliance. Moreover, things were turning into his favor despite a strong start for Magomedsharipov. Had it been a five-round fight, the outcome would have been very different as the Russian was clearly fatigued by the 3rd round. Nevertheless, Kattar has managed to win consecutive bouts since.

5. Kattar headlined UFC’s first-ever Fight Night card on Fight Island

Fight Island has been one of the best innovations of the last year, by the UFC. Kattar got the chance to headline the event in what would be his first five-round fight in the UFC. Against a dangerous opponent in Dan Ige, Kattar showcased his superior boxing skills. He went on to win a decision in the first-ever Fight Island Fight Night card.

How would Kattar fare against Max Holloway? Can he manage to get the biggest win of his career against the former champion? Let us know your thoughts below.