Calvin Kattar wants the champion next
The UFC continued with its Fight Island schedule completing its second event Wednesday night.
The fight night was an exciting card from top to bottom. The main card was headlined by the top 10 featherweights Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige. Following a five-round back-and-forth main event, Calin Kattar got the unanimous decision win over Dan Ige.
The win will most likely bump Calvin Katter up in the featherweight rankings. Following his win, Kattar didn’t waste any time in making his intentions clear. He quickly threw his name in the hat to fight the champion Alexandar Volkanovski.
Volkanovki defeated Max Holloway on Saturday and made it clear that he wants to clean the division one challenger at a time.
Kattar is not a big trash talker but he did send a message to Volkanovski.
“I mean if I make my case, I don’t got to do it with my mouth,” Kattar said at the UFC on ESPN 13 post-fight press conference. “I do it in the cage. Like all these other guys, they all talk. Where I’m from, we don’t really talk about stuff too much. You go out and prove it. You earn it. In here, that’s not really the business model, so it’s a little bit of an adjustment for me. I go out, I fight, and I try to earn every opportunity in front of me.
“The champ should see that. He’s saying he wants contenders. You’re not going to find one more ready than myself.”
Kattar is confident that Volvanovksi will stick to his word and fight the top contenders at featherweight.
“I respect his mindset as the champ,” Kattar said. “He says he wants contenders. He’s not trying to jump around other weight classes like everybody’s doing nowadays, which not hating on them either. Two belts sounds real nice. But I respect the fact that he wants to go out and fight the contenders in his weight class and he’s got one in me.
“He wants to earn it. I think we’re similar in that fact. I think it would be a good opportunity to go out and compete against him. I proved I can go five rounds. I just want more big moment opportunities. I’m ready for five-round fights and main events.”
After willing 4 out of his last 5 fights, Kattar believes he belongs with the big dogs at 145.
“I know I’m on these guys’ radar,” Kattar said. “I’m a problem to deal with, and they’re all starting to realize they’re going to have to deal with me soon.
“I keep winning, they can’t deny me. That was my mindset getting into the UFC. I didn’t ask to get in the UFC. I just said if I keep winning, they won’t deny me. They can’t deny me. There’s nothing they can do if you keep winning. That’s what I’m doing right now. If they don’t want to give me a title shot now, go out, get another win. They can’t keep denying me forever. Hopefully, top five after this fight and that’s a short list.”
Kattar is 2-0 this year and has fought more times than anyone in the top five.
“Who’s my competition?” Kattar said. “No one’s been busy in 2020. I think I’m doing well for myself competing, earning opportunities and I can’t really say much for everybody else in the division.”
