Calvin Kattar (/ˈkeɪtər/ KAY-tər; born March 26, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist and owner of MMA promotion Combat Zone.[4][5] He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2007, Kattar formerly competed for EliteXC. As of September 17, 2024, he is #10 in UFC featherweight rankings[6]
Calvin Kattar | |
---|---|
Born | Calvin Kattar March 26, 1988 Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Other names | The Boston Finisher |
Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
Weight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb) |
Division | Lightweight Featherweight |
Reach | 72 in (183 cm) |
Fighting out of | Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Team | New England Cartel (2015–present)[2] Lauzon MMA Hard Knocks Boston 617 Fight Sports Team Sityodtong |
Rank | Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[3] |
Years active | 2007–present |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 31 |
Wins | 23 |
By knockout | 11 |
By submission | 2 |
By decision | 10 |
Losses | 8 |
By knockout | 1 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 6 |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Background
editThe son of James and Sandra Kattar, Calvin was born and raised in Methuen, Massachusetts.[7] He has two brothers and a sister.[8][7] After initiating in the sport in ninth grade, Kattar was a standout wrestler at Methuen High School,[9] being ranked as high as eighth in the state (160 pounds)[10] and placing fifth at the Division I MIAA state championships as a senior in 2006.[11] After graduating, he was unsure whether he should wrestle in college or not, and ended up opting to pursue a career in mixed martial arts.[11] He went on to earn an associate degree at Middlesex Community College.[12] In an interview, Kattar expressed that he got a chance to train with Nick and Nate Diaz when he was 19 years old, and how that influenced his way of training, stating:
“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."[13]
Mixed martial arts career
editKattar won eight consecutive bouts and was unbeaten in over seven years competing on the regional circuit primarily in his native New England prior to his UFC career.[14]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
editKattar made his UFC debut replacing Choi Doo-ho against Andre Fili on July 29, 2017 at UFC 214.[14] Kattar won the fight by unanimous decision.[15]
Kattar faced undefeated prospect Shane Burgos on January 20, 2018 at UFC 220.[16] Kattar won the fight via technical knock out in round three.[17] The fight was awarded the Fight of the Night bonus.[18]
Kattar faced Renato Moicano on April 7, 2018 at UFC 223.[19] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[20]
Kattar faced promotional newcomer Chris Fishgold on October 27, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 138.[21] He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[22] By the bout, Kattar fulfilled his first four-fight contract with the UFC.[23]
Kattar faced Ricardo Lamas at UFC 238 on June 8, 2019.[24] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[25]
Kattar was scheduled to face Zabit Magomedsharipov on October 18, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 6.[26] However, Magomedsharipov was removed from the card due to injury on September 13 and the pairing was rescheduled for the following month at UFC on ESPN+ 21.[27] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[28] This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.[29]
Kattar was scheduled to face Jeremy Stephens on April 18, 2020 at UFC 249.[30] However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed[31] and the bout eventually took place on May 9, 2020.[32] At the weigh-ins on May 8, Stephens missed weight, weighing in at 150.5 pounds, 4.5 pounds over the non-title featherweight limit. As a result, the bout proceeded as a catchweight bout and Stephens was fined 20% of his purse which went to Kattar.[33] Kattar won the fight via technical knockout in round two.[34]
The first bout of his new six-fight contract came against Dan Ige on July 16, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige.[35][36] Kattar won the fight via unanimous decision.[37]
Next, Kattar faced former UFC Featherweight champion Max Holloway, while headlining UFC on ABC 1 on January 16, 2021.[38] In a one-sided fight where Kattar suffered plenty of physical trauma due to Holloway's strikes, which set multiple UFC records, he was defeated by unanimous decision.[39][40] Despite being a one-sided fight, both competitors earned the Fight of the Night award as Kattar was able to land powerful strikes of his own, despite all the damage he received.[41][42]
Kattar faced Giga Chikadze on January 15, 2022 at UFC on ESPN 32.[43] He won the fight via unanimous decision after knocking down and almost finishing Chikadze in the final seconds of the bout.[44] This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.[45]
Kattar faced Josh Emmett on June 18, 2022 in the main event at UFC on ESPN 37.[46] He lost the close bout via split decision.[47] 14 of 19 MMA media outlets scored the bout in favor of Kattar.[48] This fight earned him his third consecutive Fight of the Night award.[49]
Kattar faced Arnold Allen on October 29, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 213.[50] He lost the fight via technical knockout following a knee injury.[51]
Kattar faced former UFC Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling on April 13, 2024 at UFC 300.[52] Kattar lost the fight by unanimous decision.[53]
Kattar was scheduled to face Kyle Nelson on September 7, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 242.[54] However, Kattar withdrew from the bout for unknown reasons and was replaced by Steve Garcia.[55]
Championships and accomplishments
editMixed martial arts
edit- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (Five times) vs. Shane Burgos, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Max Holloway, Giga Chikadze and Josh Emmett.[18][29][41][45][49]
- MMAJunkie.com
- 2020 May Knockout of the Month vs. Jeremy Stephens[56]
Mixed martial arts record
edit31 matches | 23 wins | 8 losses |
By knockout | 11 | 1 |
By submission | 2 | 1 |
By decision | 10 | 6 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 23–8 | Aljamain Sterling | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 300 | April 13, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Loss | 23–7 | Arnold Allen | TKO (knee injury) | UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Allen | October 29, 2022 | 2 | 0:08 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Loss | 23–6 | Josh Emmett | Decision (split) | UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett | June 18, 2022 | 5 | 5:00 | Austin, Texas, United States | Fight of the Night. |
Win | 23–5 | Giga Chikadze | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Chikadze | January 15, 2022 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
Loss | 22–5 | Max Holloway | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar | January 16, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Fight of the Night. |
Win | 22–4 | Dan Ige | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige | July 16, 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
Win | 21–4 | Jeremy Stephens | KO (elbows) | UFC 249 | May 9, 2020 | 2 | 2:42 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | Catchweight (150.5 lb) bout; Stephens missed weight. |
Loss | 20–4 | Zabit Magomedsharipov | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Magomedsharipov vs. Kattar | November 9, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Moscow, Russia | Fight of the Night. |
Win | 20–3 | Ricardo Lamas | KO (punches) | UFC 238 | June 8, 2019 | 1 | 4:06 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
Win | 19–3 | Chris Fishgold | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith | October 27, 2018 | 1 | 4:11 | Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | |
Loss | 18–3 | Renato Moicano | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 223 | April 7, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Brooklyn, New York, United States | |
Win | 18–2 | Shane Burgos | TKO (punches) | UFC 220 | January 20, 2018 | 3 | 0:32 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Fight of the Night. |
Win | 17–2 | Andre Fili | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 214 | July 29, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
Win | 16–2 | Chris Foster | Decision (unanimous) | CES 38: Soriano vs. Makashvili | September 23, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States | |
Win | 15–2 | Kenny Foster | Decision (split) | CES 34: Curtis vs. Burrell | April 1, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States | |
Win | 14–2 | Gabriel Baino | Decision (unanimous) | Combat Zone 44: Steel Cage Fighters | June 14, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Salem, New Hampshire, United States | |
Win | 13–2 | Saul Almeida | Decision (unanimous) | CES 13: Real Pain | October 6, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Providence, Rhode Island, United States | |
Win | 12–2 | Cody Stevens | Decision (unanimous) | Combat Zone 39: Smack Down at the Rock | October 21, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Salem, New Hampshire, United States | Featherweight debut. |
Win | 11–2 | Luiz Rodrigues | Decision (unanimous) | Combat Zone 36: Smashing on the Rock | January 28, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Salem, New Hampshire, United States | |
Win | 10–2 | Chris Connor | TKO (punches) | Combat Zone 33: Massacre in the Meadow | June 19, 2010 | 1 | 3:40 | Gilford, New Hampshire, United States | |
Win | 9–2 | Jeff Anderson | TKO (punches) | Xtreme Championship Fight League 2 | March 26, 2010 | 3 | 4:05 | Lowell, Massachusetts, United States | |
Loss | 8–2 | Don Carlo-Clauss | Decision (split) | Xtreme Championship Fight League 1 | February 6, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Marlborough, Massachusetts, United States | |
Win | 8–1 | Andrew Montanez | Decision (unanimous) | American Steel Cagefighting 2 | September 11, 2009 | 5 | 5:00 | Salem, New Hampshire, United States | |
Win | 7–1 | Rodrigo Almeida | Submission (guillotine choke) | World Championship Fighting 7 | June 27, 2009 | 1 | 2:16 | Wilmington, Massachusetts, United States | |
Win | 6–1 | Jonathan Bermudez | TKO (punches) | Combat Zone 27: The Rock 2 | February 6, 2009 | 1 | 0:29 | Salem, New Hampshire, United States | |
Win | 5–1 | Bobby Diaz | Submission (triangle choke) | World Championship Fighting 5 | November 14, 2008 | 1 | 1:21 | Wilmington, Massachusetts, United States | |
Win | 4–1 | Kevin Roddy | KO (punches) | Combat Zone 26: The Rock | September 26, 2008 | 1 | 0:47 | Salem, New Hampshire, United States | |
Loss | 3–1 | James Jones | Submission (rear-naked choke) | EliteXC: Primetime | May 31, 2008 | 1 | 4:49 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | |
Win | 3–0 | Bob Pupa | TKO (submission to punches) | Combat Zone 24: Renaissance | October 13, 2007 | 1 | 0:51 | Revere, Massachusetts, United States | |
Win | 2–0 | Donald Peters | TKO (punches) | Combat Zone 23: Down and Out | August 25, 2007 | 1 | N/A | Revere, Massachusetts, United States | |
Win | 1–0 | Tony Armijo | TKO (punches) | Combat Zone 22: Cage Masters 3 | June 23, 2007 | 1 | 2:02 | Derry, New Hampshire, United States |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "UFC 223 main-card breakdown: Three potential barnburners in Brooklyn". MMAjunkie. April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Matt Ribaudo (November 5, 2020). "Fighting For Boston". bostonmanmagazine.com.
- ^ "Calvin Kattar | UFC". UFC.com. September 14, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ "Calvin Kattar in Dana White mode with Combat Zone as he patiently awaits next UFC booking". MMA Junkie. March 19, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "Combat Zone | Contact". Combat Zone MMA. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ a b Tim Wood (August 10, 2017). "Meet Calvin Kattar: After A Decade In The Minors, Now A Rising MMA Star After UFC 214 Win". forbes.com.
- ^ "Methuen's Kattar looking to make a name for himself in MMA". eagletribune.com. October 12, 2008.
- ^ "UFC Boston: Methuen's Calvin Kattar among wrestlers with MMA advantage". Boston Herald. October 16, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ "Forums / Rankings and Predictions / Week 5 Rankings!! As published in WrestlingUSA!!! - MassWrestling.com". masswrestling.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ a b Siegel, Alan (October 12, 2008). "Methuen's Kattar looking to make a name for himself in MMA". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ Altatis, Conan (June 9, 2019). "Calvin Kattar earns 4th UFC win, beats Ricardo Lamas at 'UFC 238' in Chicago". CONAN Daily. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ Gross, Josh (November 6, 2019). "Boston's own Calvin Kattar: 'The only thing we don't have out here is a UFC titleholder'". The Athletic. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Jordan Breen (July 17, 2017). "Calvin Kattar signs with the UFC, steps in for Doo Ho Choi versus Andre Fili at UFC 214". sherdog.com. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- ^ "UFC 214 results: Calvin Kattar upsets Andre Fili by clean-sweep decision on short notice". MMAjunkie. July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Marcel Dorff (November 11, 2017). "Ongeslagen Shane Burgos vecht tegen Calvin Kattar tijdens UFC 220 in Boston". mmadna.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "UFC 220 results: Calvin Kattar holds true to nickname, takes out Shane Burgos in third". MMAjunkie. January 21, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
- ^ a b "UFC 220 bonuses: Daniel Cormier, Abdul Razak Alhassan among $50,000 winners". MMAjunkie. January 21, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
- ^ Themistoklis Alexis (February 14, 2018). "Moicano draws Kattar at UFC 223". thescore.com. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
- ^ "UFC 223 results: Renato Moicano dominant in decision win over Calvin Kattar". MMAjunkie. April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ Davidson Baker (September 10, 2018). "Calvin Kattar draws the debuting Chris Fishgold at UFC Moncton". themmatakeover.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ "UFC Moncton Highlights! Kattar Puts A Bloody Stop To Fishgold". MMAmania.com. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
- ^ Ben Fowlkes (October 28, 2018). "With UFC contract expired, Calvin Kattar waits on what's next – and reflects on bird that left him". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ Guillen, Adam Jr. (April 2, 2019). "Ricardo Lamas vs Calvin Kattar booked for UFC 238 on June 8 in Chicago". MMAmania.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "UFC 238 results: Calvin Kattar starches Ricardo Lamas with one-two". MMA Junkie. June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- ^ Brett Okamato (August 6, 2019). "Magomedsharipov-Kattar to headline Oct. 18 card". espn.com. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Tristen Critchfield. "Zabit Magomedsharipov, Calvin Kattar Rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 163 in Moscow". sherdog.com. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
- ^ Evanoff, Josh (November 9, 2019). "UFC Moscow Results: Zabit Magomedsharipov Outstrikes Calvin Kattar". Cageside Press. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
- ^ a b Jon Fuentes (November 9, 2019). "UFC Moscow Bonuses, Attendance & Gate". lowkickmma.com. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- ^ Nolan King (January 23, 2020). "Calvin Kattar vs. Jeremy Stephens in the works for UFC 249". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ Brett Okamoto (April 9, 2020). "Dana White says UFC 249 will not happen April 18". espn.com. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ "REVISED – UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje Fight Card | MMAWeekly.com". April 27, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ "UFC 249 weigh-in results: Title fighters on weight; Jeremy Stephens misses". MMAJunkie.com. May 9, 2020. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ McDonagh, Joe (May 9, 2020). "UFC 249 Results: Calvin Kattar Flattens Jeremy Stephens with Elbow". Cageside Press. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- ^ Brett Okamoto (June 15, 2020). "Calvin Kattar, Dan Ige to headline UFC Fight Night on July 15 at Fight Island". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ Mike Heck (June 24, 2020). "After new deal, Calvin Kattar ready 'to take souls' beginning with Dan Ige in July 15 headliner". mmafighting.com.
- ^ "Kattar stays in title hunt with decision over Ige". ESPN. July 16, 2020.
- ^ Mike Bohn (November 17, 2020). "Ex-champ Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar headlines UFC Fight Night on Jan. 16". MMA Junkie. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "Broken nose among injuries Calvin Kattar sustained in UFC on ABC 1 loss". MMA Junkie. January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (January 16, 2021). "UFC Fight Island 7 Results: Max Holloway Outdoes Himself Against Calvin Kattar". Cageside Press. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Hiergesell, Dan (January 16, 2021). "UFC Fight Island 7 Bonuses! 'Leech' Banks $50K For Stopping Ponzinibbio". MMAmania.com. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night results, highlights: Max Holloway brutalizes Calvin Kattar in lopsided decision victory". CBSSports.com. January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ Marcel Dorff (October 8, 2021). "UFC opent 2022 met Main Event tussen Calvin Kattar en Giga Chikadze". MMA DNA (in Dutch). Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ Richardson, Andrew (January 15, 2022). "Kattar Vs. Chikadze Live Fight Stream!". MMAmania.com. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Newswire, MMA Fighting (January 15, 2022). "UFC Vegas 46 bonuses: Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze easy call for 'Fight of the Night'". MMA Fighting. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "Calvin Kattar Set To Take On Josh Emmett This June In Texas". MMA News. April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ Law, Eddie (June 18, 2022). "UFC Austin: Josh Emmett Earns Split Decision Win Over Kattar, Calls For Title Shot". Cageside Press. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "Calvin Kattar vs. Josh Emmett". MMADecisions.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ a b MMA Fighting Newswire (June 18, 2022). "UFC Austin post-fight bonuses: All finishers earn $50k payouts". mmafighting.com. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ King, Kristen (September 15, 2022). "Calvin Kattar vs. Arnold Allen set to headline UFC event on Oct. 29". Bloody Elbow. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (October 29, 2022). "UFC Vegas 63: Arnold Allen Picks Up TKO as Calvin Kattar's Knee Gives Out". Cageside Press. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ Cole Shelton (December 21, 2023). "Dana White announces several new fights including three for UFC 300". bjpenn.com. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ McCorry, Patrick (April 14, 2024). "UFC 300: Aljamain Sterling Takes Decision Over Calvin Kattar in 145lb Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "UFC books Calvin Kattar vs. Kyle Nelson for September". MMA Junkie. June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Damon Martin (August 3, 2024). "With Calvin Kattar out, Steve Garcia steps in to face Kyle Nelson at UFC Vegas 97". mmafighting.com. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ "MMA Junkie's 'Knockout of the Month' for May: A brutal elbow seals the deal". mmajunkie.com. June 1, 2020.
- ^ "Calvin". Sherdog. Retrieved November 10, 2019.