Max Holloway vs Calvin Kattar - What is there to know and who will state their claim for a future title fight?

Max Holloway's bout with Calvin Kattar on Fight Island is the perfect way to kick off the new year for the UFC. Two high-level strikers, one a former champion, the other a fighter who has seen a rapid rise to the top with a string highlight reel finishes. Holloway's legend writes itself; a Featherweight great who holds wins over the likes of Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar and Anthony Pettis to name but a few. The Blessed Express will be looking to get back on track after two losses to current champion Alexander Volkanovski, the second of which sparked outrage amongst fans due to the questionable judging. He will need to be on top form if he is to halt the progress of the New England Cartel's Calvin Kattar.

On the other side of the octagon stands one of the best pure boxers in the sport. Boston's Calvin Kattar has shown a fierce ability on the feet, providing us with some devastating knockout wins. His victories over Ricardo Lamas and Jeremy Stephens show how dangerous the New England fighter can be. A laser-like right hand to the chin of Lamas sent him crumbling to the ground where he was finished with ground and pound. The victory over Stephens saw what Jon Anik called 'a Boston bomb' end the fight in the second round, and once again remind us how educated a striking game Kattar possesses. Kattar also showed that he has the cardio to go for five rounds, as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory of Dan Ige in a main event slot on Fight Island.

The tale of the tape reads fairly even, the main discrepancies being a three inch reach advantage for Kattar and a slightly shorter average fight time for the New England fighter. Whilst Kattar will have the power advantage over Holloway, on average he absorbs more strikes a minute, something that the notoriously high volume striker Holloway will seek to make the most of. 

Holloway's most dominant victory saw him bludgeon Brian Ortega for 4 rounds at UFC 231. The Hawaiian broke the record for the most significant strikes landed in a fight and a single round but was unable to drop Ortega. The precision of the strikes are what make Holloway such a threat, coupled with his unorthodox movement and constant stance changes. When we have seen Holloway drop his opponents, it tends to be more of flash knockdown. Take the first fight against Aldo for example; Holloway knocked the champion down with a clean straight right but Aldo was not out of the fight at that point and was able to move and defend before eventually being finished. Holloway has power, but it is the accumulation of strikes that cause his opponents the bulk of their issues. 

Kattar's kill-shot is his right cross, as well as his right uppercut, we saw him finish Shane Burgos with that strike. In the Lamas fight, he set the right cross by aiming for the body before switching the attack upstairs to great effect. We also saw in the Shane Burgos fight how educated the jab of Kattar is and I think this will be a pivotal aspect of Kattar's game versus Holloway considering his reach advantage. Holloway relies heavily on his footwork, he is excellent at cutting angles for strikes and moving out of range of his opponent to avoid damage. Holloway would be wise to attack the lead leg of Kattar who stands fairly heavy on it due to his boxing style. I doubt this fight will end up on the mat, but if it does I would say Holloway has the advantage. Both men have two submission wins each to their names. Holloway is a BJJ purple belt and Kattar a BJJ blue belt. Like I said, I doubt this one hits the mat but you never know. 

Holloway looked excellent against Volkanovski in their rematch and will be fired up to put on a big performance and thrust his name back into contention for the belt. For Kattar, this is an enormous opportunity. Victory here could ensure a title shot, or at least a number 1 contender fight. I really don't know who will win this one, but it is sure to be an entertaining one. I cannot wait for the return of the action and I'm sure it will be another incredible year of MMA!

~ James Eakin

Image credits: [Centre] 'UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar', Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_Fight_Night:_Holloway_vs._Kattar [Accessed Dec '20].