Calvin Kattar
Calvin Kattar (born March 26, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2007, Kattar formerly competed for EliteXC. As of June 15, 2020, he is #6 in the UFC featherweight rankings.[2]
Calvin Kattar | |
---|---|
Born | Calvin Kattar March 26, 1988 Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Other names | The Boston Finisher |
Nationality | American |
Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
Weight | 145.4 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb) |
Division | Lightweight Featherweight |
Reach | 72 in (183 cm) |
Style | Boxing |
Fighting out of | Methuen, Massachusetts, United States |
Team | New England Cartel Lauzon MMA Hard Knocks Boston 617 Fight Sports Team Sityodtong |
Rank | Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1] |
Years active | 2007–present |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 27 |
Wins | 22 |
By knockout | 11 |
By submission | 2 |
By decision | 9 |
Losses | 5 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 4 |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Background
The son of James and Sandra Kattar, Calvin was born and raised in Methuen, Massachusetts.[3] He has one brother Mini Blessed.[4][3] After initiating in the sport in ninth grade, Kattar was a standout wrestler at Methuen High School,[5] being ranked as high as eighth in the state (160 pounds)[6] and placing fifth at the Division I MIAA state championships as a senior in 2006.[7] 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.[7] He went on to earn an associate degree at Middlesex Community College.[8] 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."[9]
Mixed martial arts career
Kattar 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.[10]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Kattar made his UFC debut replacing Doo Ho Choi against Andre Fili on July 29, 2017 at UFC 214.[10] Kattar won the fight by unanimous decision.[11]
Kattar faced undefeated prospect Shane Burgos on January 20, 2018 at UFC 220.[12] Kattar won the fight via technical knock out in round three.[13] The fight was awarded the Fight of the Night bonus.[14]
Kattar faced Renato Moicano on April 7, 2018 at UFC 223.[15] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[16]
Kattar faced promotional newcomer Chris Fishgold on October 27, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 138.[17] He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[18] By the bout, Kattar fulfilled his first four-fight contract with the UFC.[19]
Kattar faced Ricardo Lamas at UFC 238 on June 8, 2019.[20] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[21]
Kattar was scheduled to face Zabit Magomedsharipov on October 18, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 6.[22] 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.[23] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[24] This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.[25]
Kattar was scheduled to face Jeremy Stephens on April 18, 2020 at UFC 249.[26] However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed[27] and the bout eventually took place on May 9, 2020.[28] 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.[29] Kattar won the fight via technical knockout in round two.[30]
The first bout of his new six-fight contract came against Dan Ige on July 16, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige.[31][32] Kattar won the fight via by unanimous decision.[33]
Next, Kattar faced former UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway, while headlining UFC on ABC 1 on January 16, 2021.[34] 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.[35][36] Despite being a one-sided fight, both competitors earned the Fight of the Night award as Kattar was still absorbing the strikes and fighting back.[37][38]
Titles and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Shane Burgos, Zabit Magomedsharipov and Max Holloway.[14][25][37]
- MMAJunkie.com
- 2020 May Knockout of the Month vs. Jeremy Stephens[39]
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown | ||
27 matches | 22 wins | 5 losses |
By knockout | 11 | 0 |
By submission | 2 | 1 |
By decision | 9 | 4 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | TKO (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 |
References
- "Calvin Kattar - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- "Rankings | UFC". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- 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. 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- "Forums / Rankings and Predictions / Week 5 Rankings!! As published in WrestlingUSA!!! - MassWrestling.com". masswrestling.com. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- Siegel, Alan. "Methuen's Kattar looking to make a name for himself in MMA". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- Altatis, Conan (2019-06-09). "Calvin Kattar earns 4th UFC win, beats Ricardo Lamas at 'UFC 238' in Chicago". CONAN Daily. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- Gross, Josh. "Boston's own Calvin Kattar: 'The only thing we don't have out here is a UFC titleholder'". The Athletic. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
- Jordan Breen (2017-07-17). "Calvin Kattar signs with the UFC, steps in for Doo Ho Choi versus Andre Fili at UFC 214". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- "UFC 214 results: Calvin Kattar upsets Andre Fili by clean-sweep decision on short notice". MMAjunkie. 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
- "Ongeslagen Shane Burgos vecht tegen Calvin Kattar tijdens UFC 220 in Boston". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
- "UFC 220 results: Calvin Kattar holds true to nickname, takes out Shane Burgos in third". MMAjunkie. 2018-01-21. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
- "UFC 220 bonuses: Daniel Cormier, Abdul Razak Alhassan among $50,000 winners". MMAjunkie. 2018-01-21. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
- Themistoklis Alexis (2018-02-14). "Moicano draws Kattar at UFC 223". thescore.com. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
- "UFC 223 results: Renato Moicano dominant in decision win over Calvin Kattar". MMAjunkie. 2018-04-08. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
- Davidson Baker (2018-09-10). "Calvin Kattar draws the debuting Chris Fishgold at UFC Moncton". themmatakeover.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
- "UFC Moncton Highlights! Kattar Puts A Bloody Stop To Fishgold". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
- 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. (2019-04-02). "Ricardo Lamas vs Calvin Kattar booked for UFC 238 on June 8 in Chicago". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
- "UFC 238 results: Calvin Kattar starches Ricardo Lamas with one-two". MMA Junkie. 2019-06-09. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
- Brett Okamato (2019-08-06). "Magomedsharipov-Kattar to headline Oct. 18 card". espn.com. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
- Tristen Critchfield. "Zabit Magomedsharipov, Calvin Kattar Rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 163 in Moscow". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
- Evanoff, Josh (2019-11-09). "UFC Moscow Results: Zabit Magomedsharipov Outstrikes Calvin Kattar". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
- Jon Fuentes (2019-11-09). "UFC Moscow Bonuses, Attendance & Gate". lowkickmma.com. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
- Nolan King (2020-01-23). "Calvin Kattar vs. Jeremy Stephens in the works for UFC 249". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- Brett Okamoto (2020-04-09). "Dana White says UFC 249 will not happen April 18". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- "REVISED – UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje Fight Card | MMAWeekly.com". 2020-04-27. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- "UFC 249 weigh-in results: Title fighters on weight; Jeremy Stephens misses". MMAJunkie.com. May 9, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- McDonagh, Joe (2020-05-09). "UFC 249 Results: Calvin Kattar Flattens Jeremy Stephens with Elbow". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- Brett Okamoto (2020-06-15). "Calvin Kattar, Dan Ige to headline UFC Fight Night on July 15 at Fight Island". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- 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. 16 July 2020.
- Mike Bohn (November 17, 2020). "Ex-champ Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar headlines UFC Fight Night on Jan. 16". MMA Junkie.
- "Broken nose among injuries Calvin Kattar sustained in UFC on ABC 1 loss". MMA Junkie. 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
- Anderson, Jay (2021-01-16). "UFC Fight Island 7 Results: Max Holloway Outdoes Himself Against Calvin Kattar". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- Hiergesell, Dan (2021-01-16). "UFC Fight Island 7 Bonuses! 'Leech' Banks $50K For Stopping Ponzinibbio". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- "UFC Fight Night results, highlights: Max Holloway brutalizes Calvin Kattar in lopsided decision victory". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
- "MMA Junkie's 'Knockout of the Month' for May: A brutal elbow seals the deal". mmajunkie.com. June 1, 2020.
- "Calvin". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-11-10.