MMA
UFC Fight Night preview: Emmett and Kattar go head-to-head in featherweight bout
UFC Fight Night is back for another week, this time in Austin with Calvin Kattar v Josh Emmett as the main attraction in what could be an intriguing battle.
Both the fighters go into this affair looking pretty even on paper and neither will want to dampen their career records.
Kattar to further fuel his comeback?
With 23 wins and five losses, Calvin Kattar will go into the octagon this weekend as the significant favourite at 2/5. Dispatching 11 of his 23 victims with knockouts and two via submission, Kattar’s aggressive fighting style has served him well in the past and will undoubtedly be exhibited at the Moody Centre in Austin on Saturday.
After a brutal loss to Max Holloway in January 2021, Kattar decided to take some time to reset, having lost two out of his last six fights when his prior two defeats to those had come in 12 fights.
Not fighting for almost a year, there was some doubt over whether a successful comeback was on the cards for the New England Cartel man. But Kattar duly delivered, sweeping aside Giga Chikadze in January and putting his name back on the UFC featherweight map, where he is now fourth in the rankings.
Known for his ability to swiftly knock out an opponent, Kattar’s first seven wins were claimed inside the first round of the fight with three of them coming inside the first minute. He hasn’t, however, managed to win inside the first round since June 2019. With that in mind, the odds for Saturday’s fight to go the distance are priced at 7/10 and not to do so at 21/20.
Beginning his MMA career in 2007, Kattar has a myriad of experience to fall back on if things don’t go to plan against Emmett. He is 21/10 to win via KO/TKO/DQ or submission, which could offer some value.
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Can Emmett’s stamina prevail?
Taking the majority of his 17 victories from judges’ decisions, Josh Emmett, who doesn’t have as acute of a skill in the knockout department as his adversary, has proven time and time again that he can weather the storm of a hard puncher, take his opportunities, and come out on top.
Highlighting the effectiveness of slightly less aggressive fighting, Emmett can consistently take heavy hits but remain focussed and wired to his task of staying in the fight and landing the shots that matter to the scoring, rather than going all out for the knockout blow.
Despite his abilities and an impressive run of victories – winning six out of his last seven – the Team Alpha Male man is the underdog in the fight with Kattar, priced at 19/10 for victory.
Winning his last four fights on the trot and beating the likes of Mirsad Bektić and Shane Burgos, Emmett hasn’t lost since February 2018 and has taken three knockouts from his last six fights. He is 4/1 to claim another one and to win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission.
Emmett, meanwhile, is 9/2 to utilise his most successful method of victory and beat Kattar by decision.
