With the majority of the featherweight division already booked, Calvin Kattar has his eyes on a former champion.
Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has surged up the featherweight rankings, picking up two big wins over Jeremy Stephens and most recently Dan Ige in his first headliner spot at UFC on ESPN 13 in July.
Chan Sung Jung is scheduled to face Brian Ortega in the UFC’s Oct. 17 main event and Zabit Magomedsharipov is projected to face Yair Rodriguez at UFC 254, which leaves one big option left for Kattar.
Kattar wants to face former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, who’s regarded by many as the greatest 145-pounder of all time. In beating someone like Holloway, Kattar thinks he can potentially leapfrog all the other contenders.
“Those fights, the Yair vs. Zabit and Ortega vs. Zombie, they’ve all been scheduled to fight before,” Kattar told MMA Junkie. “Hopefully it happens, comes to fruition soon, but otherwise, it only leaves me and Max and it would be an honor to share the octagon with him. I consider him one of the GOATs of the division and a win over him would almost be better than getting that belt around my waist, so I feel whoever beats Max next deserves a shot at the belt or at least gets first dibs so it leaves me and him an opportunity to make that fight happen. I’m game.”
With Dana White recently confirming the return of the “Ultimate Fighter,” Kattar would love to the opportunity to coach opposite side Holloway (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC), then face him after the airing of the show.
“It would be cool if we did – I know they’re talking about a potential ‘Ultimate Fighter,’ Max vs. myself it would be great,” Kattar said. “You got a big name in Max, you got an up-and-coming prospect like myself, and I think we could have a lot of fun with an opportunity like that.
“A guy like Max, like I said, he’s one of the best to ever do it, there’s a lot of notoriety fighting a guy like that and you go in there and add in a guy like that to your resume would do a lot for you so I’m chasing big moment opportunities, big wins and Max Holloway would be at the top of the list right now.”
Calvin Kattar wants to coach ‘Ultimate Fighter’ vs. Max Holloway, then face him