What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 13 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. Calvin Kattar proves he belongs
Calvin Kattar left no doubt about his position as a top featherweight with his win over Dan Ige in the main event. Yes, we knew he was good before the unanimous decision, but the performance answered some critical questions about exactly where he fits in.
Kattar’s win over Jeremy Stephens at UFC 249 was a highlight-reel finish, but “Lil’ Heathen” is on a five-fight slide, so it’s hard to quantify what that really means. Ige, meanwhile, brought a six-fight winning streak into the matchup and all the momentum a fighter could ask for.
That momentum was brought to a halt by Kattar, who showed off his slick boxing, durability and conditioning to go five rounds at a strong pace. Those are all tools “The Boston Finisher” will need if he wants to make it to the very top of the stacked 145-pound division. Kattar has solid fight IQ and knows how to fight to his strengths, though, and that will take him a long way.
At this point it’s almost impossible to pick a bad fight for Kattar when sifting through the rest of the division’s contenders. That’s a credit to his style, and unless something dramatic changes, Kattar is going to be part of the conversation at featherweight for years to come.
2. Tim Elliott’s troubling approach
Tim Elliott had some interesting comments after his victory over Ryan Benoit in the co-main event. The former flyweight title challenger admitted he can’t say no to the UFC when they come calling, even if it’s a situation where it’s not to his benefit.
“That’s one way to get the UFC not to like to you is to not answer that call,” Elliott told reporters post-fight. “They know when they ring my number I’m going to answer, and I’m going to accept whatever they offer. Whatever pay they offer, whatever opponent they offer, whatever location they offer – I’m the guy that’s going to take what he gets and win, lose or draw I’m going to show up and make weight, and I’m going to be a professional.”
For Elliott, this approach is both a gift and a curse. He brought a three-fight losing streak into the matchup with Benoit, which he won by unanimous decision, and in that situation many other fighters would’ve been cut from the roster. Instead, though, he was rewarded with a new contract that apparently came with a raise.
That’s good if true, but the “whatever pay they offer” line is troubling. In a time when there seems to be more unrest among fighters over pay than any time before, Elliott’s mentality is detrimental to the cause.
That’s the type of culture the UFC relies on, though. Because for every one Jorge Masvidal who is is willing to stand up for his value and hold out until he gets what he wants, there are 10 Tim Elliotts who happily take anything thrown their way.
3. Jimmie Rivera does work on short notice
Jimmie Rivera might be one of the more underrated fighters on the UFC roster, so it was nice to see him get a unanimous decision win over Cody Stamann, even if he was rather critical of the performance afterward.
Rivera took 13 months off after his loss to Petr Yan at UFC 238 and had to deal with some personal issues along the way, including contracting COVID-19. His return to the octagon came on eight days’ notice when he was booked against Stamann, and he picked up the win.
The only people to beat Rivera in UFC competition are the now-bantamweight champ Yan, former title challenger Marlon Moraes and No. 1 contender Aljamain Sterling. Only Moraes managed to finish him, too, and it was a 33-second knockout where Rivera was caught with a big shot.
Point is, Rivera belongs in the conversation with the upper heap of the stacked 135-pound division.
4. Mounir Lazzez steals the shine in debut
Going into Wednesday’s main-card opener, all the focus was on Abdul Razak Alhassan in his return to the octagon after 22 months were taken from his career due to a false rape allegation. His opponent, Mounir Lazzez, merely existed in the backdrop.
There was a bit of a cool storyline with Lazzez, which you’ve probably heard by now. He was signed to the UFC after his friend encountered Dana White at a Las Vegas restaurant and persuaded the UFC president to give Lazzez a shot. He did, but Lazzez wasn’t given a layup in his debut.
Lazzez came in and provided nothing short of a sensational effort in the “Fight of the Night.” He went toe to toe with a destructive hitter in Alhassan and nearly finished the fight on multiple occasions. Moreover, he showed he’s competent on the ground with takedowns and wrestling, and the overall impression is that Lazzez is more than UFC worthy. A job well done.
5. Khamzat Chimaev has potential
Khamzat Chimaev made his name known to a whole new section of the MMA world with a memorable debut performance against John Phillips. It was total mauling from the outset until he finally locked in a D’Arce choke for the finish early in the second round.
Admittedly, I didn’t know a ton about Chimaev coming in. My colleague Farah Hannoun has been singing his praises, though, which made me take interest. What I found out before he stepped in the octagon was impressive, but the one-sided nature of his performance exceeded expectations.
From all indications, this wasn’t even Chimaev at his best, either. He fought at middleweight when he’s typically a welterweight, and we know the pandemic and circumstances around these events in Abu Dhabi means a lesser product from everyone to some degree.
Chimaev’s potential is very exciting, and it should be interesting to see how UFC matchmakers decide to book him now that he has a little hype.
