ABU DHABI – Calvin Kattar respects where UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is coming from when he says he wants to fight the top talent available – not the biggest names.
At UFC on ESPN 13 on Wednesday, Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) defeated fellow contender Dan Ige by unanimous decision. Despite his momentum, Kattar said he doesn’t think he needs to call out Volkanovksi (22-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) to get a title shot.
“If I make my case, I don’t (have) to do it with my mouth. I do it in the cage.” Kattar told MMA Junkie. “All these other guys, they all talk. Where I’m from, we don’t really talk about stuff too much. We go out and prove. We earn it. Here, (shot-calling) is not really the business model, so it’s a little bit of an adjustment for me. I go out. I fight and I try to earn every opportunity in front of me. The champ should see that. He’s saying he wants contenders and you’re not going to find one more ready than myself.”
Analyzing a potential matchup between Volkanovski and him, Kattar said height and length would likely play a factor. On the flip side of the coin, Kattar recognized Volkanovski is used to fighting taller guys.
“I see it (going well),” Kattar said. “He’s a little shorter for the division. You see how I match up with the shorter guys. I like my reach. But then again, he did well with Max who’s another taller guy in the division. He’s a tough kid. Everybody in the top 10 (or) top five is going to be tough. I just think I present other qualities that will get the job done. Yeah, tough kid. I see myself beating everybody they put in there with me. The champ is no different.”
At the end of the day, Kattar respects Volkanovski and the way he operates as the 145-pound titleholder. Volkanovski’s disinterest in “money fights” and interest in contenders mirrors Kattar’s beliefs.
“I respect his mindset as a champ,” Kattar said. “He says he wants contenders. He’s not going to jump around to other weight classes like everybody is doing nowadays. I’m not hating on them either. Two belts sound real nice. I respect the fact he wants to go out and fight the contenders in his weight class and he’s got one in me.”
The Kattar-Ige bout was the main event at UFC on ESPN 13 at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
