LAS VEGAS – UFC featherweight Calvin Kattar is not one to pick opponents, but someone ranked above him would be ideal for his next fight.
Kattar (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) is hoping to return before the end of the year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, which he suffered in a TKO loss vs. Arnold Allen in October 2022. The 35-year-old Massachusetts native will look to rebound from a two-fight losing skid. His most recent win came in January 2022 when he snapped the winning streak of rising contender Giga Chikadze in dominant fashion.
“I don’t really focus on that,” Kattar told MMA Junkie Radio. “Just staying ready, being the best version of myself, and whoever we fight, we adapt. Keeps my job simple. I don’t really worry about the other stuff.”
Kattar already has fought the elite of the division, from former champion Max Holloway to former interim title challenger Josh Emmett to top contender Allen. If it was up to him, he’d like to continue fighting the upper echelon of the division.
“Ideally, what I would be most in favor of is fighting up and then trying to – anything that’ll get you closer to the title, things like that,” Kattar said. “I really don’t care. It’s just ideally, if we can fight up and something that’ll get you to the title faster, that’s what I would prefer. But other than that, it’s whoever.”
Although Kattar is on a bit of a skid, he’s using his recent unfortunate setbacks as fuel.
“I feel like I’m the best I’ve ever been,” Kattar said. “I feel like training is at a great point. Obviously setbacks happen on the way, but that only kind of hardwires me more. I think right now is the best version of myself.”
