Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight fighters Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige will fight tonight (July 15, 2020) in the UFC on ESPN 13 from “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Kattar has established itself as one of the world’s best Featherweights in style, defeating enemies with scorching punches quite consistently. “Boston Finisher” is pretty high right now, looking to get another win and officially enter the title mix. Ige has moved up in rank with similar speed, but has done so more stringently. Ige steps forward and forces the action, happy to get into a fight if there is a chance that he can land in the highest position and impose his will.
It’s a clash of styles that is likely to spawn fireworks, so let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for every man:
Calvin Kattar
Record: 21-4
Key wins: Jeremy Stephens (UFC 249), Ricardo Lamas (UFC 238), Shane Burgos (UFC 220), Andre Fili (UFC 214), Chris Fishgold (UFC Fight Night 138)
Key losses: Zabit Magomedsharipov (UFC Fight Night 163), Renato Moicano (UFC 223)
The key to victory: Kattar could have the best hands at 145 pounds. He gets the full extent of his punches, which are broken with real power, and he matches his combinations extremely well. When you can set range with your jab and start flowing, the fight tends to end soon after.
The last time Ige faced a true boxing specialist was his debut against Julio Arce, and Arce really worked it out. Kattar is even longer and more deadly than Arce, so it stands to reason that Kattar is very successful with his hands.
Kattar has a range advantage and a nasty jab. To get the most out of both, I’d like to see Kattar pushing Ige on his counterpunches. Ige wants to trade, and Katter can definitely counter that aggression in a big way. If you hit Ige with a long swipe and then retreat out of range, you will be far enough away that your lowest enemy is lost. If Ige gets out of position in his attempts to return fire, that’s when Kattar has a chance to end the fight.
Dan Ige
Record: 14-2
Key wins: Edson Barboza (UFC on ESPN 8), Mirsad Bektic (UFC 247), Kevin Aguilar (UFC Fight Night 154), Danny Henry (UFC Fight Night 147)
Key losses: Julio Arce (UFC 220)
The key to victory: Ige brings violence. He is a superior control specialist, who likes to take his back and finish from that position with blows or strangles. However, if your opponent won’t easily give up on takedown, Ige is pretty good at pocket trading and turns him into junk.
Ige is going to get punched in the face quite a bit in this fight, he is not going to defeat Kattar on his first try. To score the takedown he definitely needs, Ige has to wear down his enemy in an ugly fight.
First things first: Kattar is not the man to chase. Instead, Ige must methodically cut the cage. Staying low and hitting in the midsection would be a good choice, and that’s comfortably in Ige’s arsenal. Also, Ige once did a fantastic job hitting left kicks in Aguilar’s belly while his enemy was trying to counter attack, and that also seems like a good move here.
Ige needs to back Kattar up to the fence as often as possible. The fence will help nullify Kattar’s jerks and pivots, meaning it will be a more direct exchange of shots. That definitely improves Ige’s chances of landing without being hit in return, and he’ll also be in a good position to shoot throughout the cage.
Bottom line: There is no clear contender at 145 pounds at the moment.
After the Volkanovski vs. debacle Holloway 2 (details), who’s next? Chan Sung Jung, Zabit Magomedsharipov, a rubber match? The division appears to be filled to the brim with fighters just one more win away from winning a shot against Volkanovski. Kattar and Ige are one step behind the names mentioned, but they are also not far from a possible title opportunity.
A major victory in a main event slot could allow the winner to skip the pack or at least line up a knockout game for the title.
Between the two, Ige is the youngest and least experienced professional, most capable of paying and recovering from defeat. However, Kattar is likely at his best, and he technically lost a close bout with Zabit in November 2019. Another loss to a fighter ranked below him would definitely damage his momentum, placing him in a much less desirable position in the title hunt
MMAmania.com Will Offer LIVE Coverage Round-By-Round, Hit-By-Hit From All UFC On ESPN Fight Card 13 TONIGHT Right here, starting with ESPN /ESPN + “Preliminary” poster fights at 7 pm ET, followed by ESPN /ESPN + Main card start time at 10pm ET.
For the latest and greatest UFC on ESPN 13: “Kattar vs. Ige” news and notes, be sure to visit our full event archive on the right here.
In the UFC on ESPN 13, Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige will pitch in the main event. Which man will win the victory?
