Calvin Kattar offers replacement services vs. Chan Sung Jung at UFC on ESPN+ 23

WASHINGTON – Calvin Kattar is ready to fight Chan Sung Jung on a little more than two weeks’ notice if the UFC will give him the opportunity.

Once news broke Brian Ortega was forced to withdraw from the UFC on ESPN+ 23 main event against Jung (15-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) later this month due to an ACL injury, the search for a replacement opponent started for the featherweight headliner.

Reports have pegged former UFC champ Frankie Edgar as the frontrunner to land the contest, but nothing has been announced, and Kattar (20-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has offered up his services.

“As soon as we heard (Ortega’s injury), we threw out name in the hat and we’re waiting to hear what they said,” Kattar told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “It looks like Frankie is the frontrunner right now. We’ll see what they decide to do, but I’m always down to fight. Especially after that last one – I’m looking to get back. I’m ready to go.

UFC on ESPN+ 23 takes place Dec. 21 at Sajik Arena in Busan, South Korea. The entire card streams on ESPN+.

Kattar is just weeks removed from a loss to Zabit Magomedsharipov, but is keen to get back in the octagon soon. There’s no better way to get the bad taste out of his mouth from a loss, in his mind, than to fight Jung.

“‘Zombie’ vs. me – you know what you’re going to get in that case,” Kattar said. “It’s going to be a good fight. I really just want to get that last one out of my mouth – that last ‘L.’ I don’t give a (expletive) who it is against.”