LAS VEGAS – Calvin Kattar could also be within the midst of the worst stretch of his skilled MMA profession, nevertheless it makes no difference to him.
Kattar (23-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) returns to motion within the featherweight co-feature of UFC Fight Night 251 on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, where he’ll look to finish a three-fight losing skid. Standing in his way shall be Youssef Zalal, who has won three straight since rejoining the UFC last yr.
Despite his recent stretch, Kattar enters this fight confident, and isn’t dwelling on the outcomes of the fights against Josh Emmett, Arnold Allen and Aljamain Sterling.
“Definitely not the best way we would like things going,” Kattar told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I mean, I don’t need to beat a dead horse, but I believed I won that first fight of the three with Emmett. Then the best way things worked with Allen with the knee, just unlucky. I feel like that fight didn’t even occur. Lost a fight to a former champ, and hastily here we’re, 0-3, you realize?
“Not the best way you should write it up, nevertheless it’s dangerous sort of focusing an excessive amount of behind you and too far ahead of you. Straight away, we got Youssel Zalal on Saturday. Tough opponent, four-fight win streak – that’s difficult to do within the UFC. Definitely deserving of a top 10, top 15 challenge, and I’m able to exit and provides him a fight come Saturday night.”
Kattar’s last victory got here by the use of unanimous decision over Giga Chikadze in January 2022. He was an underdog on the betting window for that matchup, and is in the identical position against Zalal (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC), albiet at a much larger number.
For Kattar, this fight is about proving he belongs among the many top 145-pound fighters on the planet, and doesn’t care if he has to fight someone further down the ladder to re-establish himself.
“I don’t give a f*ck about that,” Kattar said. “… Because everybody’s tough. I just don’t care either way. A fight’s a fight, you realize? I don’t care who it’s, who it’s against. Give me a while for it, I’ll be pleased for that. It doesn’t all the time occur, but for this one we got time.
“I’m not getting any younger, and it’s about testing myself and proving to myself that I belong in the highest of the divison. These guys are only a possibility for me to do this. I don’t care who it’s, sort of where they stack up – I let the manager sort of take care of all of that sh*t. I just deal with beating the guy in front of me each time.”
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