UFC Fight Night vs. Max Holloway Calvin Kattar – Updates and live results

by

The former feathered king is looking for a way back to the crown. Max Holloway will face Calvin Kattar in a key featherweight bout at the main UFC Fight Night event on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the first UFC show of the year, and the main card will be broadcast on ABC, the boxing house for several decades.

The winner of this fight could be next in line for a title opportunity. ESPN ranked Holloway 2nd and Kattar 6th in the featherweight division.

Holloway (21-6) fell two in a row to current champion Alexander Volkanovski. Both matches were very close and many thought Holloway won second at UFC 251 in July. Holloway, 29, is the most decorated featherweight in UFC history. He held a £ 145 UFC title from 2016 to 2019. The Hawai’i native has the most wins (16), the most KO / TKO wins (8) and the most stopped wins (10). from the history of UFC featherweight.

Kattar (22-4) has won two in a row and four of the last five. The Massachusetts native has four finals in six UFC wins. Kattar, 32, came out of a unanimous decision on Dan Ige in July last year.

In the co-main event, two of the most interesting fighters in the history of UFC welterweight – Carlos Condit and Matt Brown – sign up. Condit (31-13), former UFC interim welterweight champion, won a series of five fights in his last bout, a victory over Court McGee. Brown (22-17) had a series of victories in two fights in his last attack against Miguel Baeza.

Also on the card, welterweight competitor Santiago Ponzinibbio returns after more than two years away due to illness to face Li Jingliang, and eliminatory artist Joaquin Buckley meets Alessio Di Chirico in a welterweight fight.

A strong book will get extra adrenaline, as fans will be allowed on the Etihad Arena. The building can accommodate 18,000, but only 2,000 fans will have access.

Fight in progress:

Women’s Bantam Weight: Wu Yanan (11-3, 1-2 UFC, -115) vs. Joselyne Edwards (9-2, 0-0 UFC, -105)

Results:

Heavyweight: Carlos Felipe (10-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Justin Tafa (4-2, 1-2 UFC) by split decision

With 20 seconds left, Felipe and Tafa sat in the center of the Octagon, throwing strong combinations. The 2,000 paid fans in attendance – the first to attend a UFC event in March last year – cheered loudly.

Felipe ended up winning a divided decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) over Tafa in a very close fight. But what people will remember about this battle of the great heavyweights will not be who won and who lost. It will be how they brought the first UFC crowd in the last 10 months to their feet, with an incredibly fun beat.

Tafa controlled the first round. He landed hard on Felipe’s body and feet. At one point, he almost knocked Felipe off his feet with a kick to his right foot. There were red marks on Felipe’s thighs from Tafa’s brutal blows. In the second, however, Felipe took off. He shook Tafa with a large combination, culminating in a big right hand. Tafa retreated against the cage and Felipe wounded him again with hooks to his body as Tafa winced. The two finished the round with a big exchange in the center, while the crowd cheered.

In the third, both men had their moments. Tafa hit a few hard blows on the body. It was as if the two giant men were fighting in a telephone booth. Later, Felipe landed a large elbow that momentarily amazed Tafa. The fight ended with the two heading towards each other, risking loss of consciousness to burn the crowd.

Felipe, 26, won two times ago following a loss in his UFC debut. The Brazilian native also has professional boxing experience. Tafa, a 27-year-old Australian, has now given up two of the three in the UFC.

– Raimondi

Watch this fight on ESPN +.

Welterweight: Ramazan Emeev (20-4, 5-1 UFC) defeats David Zawada (17-6, 1-3 UFC) by split decision

Emeev had to dive into round 3. In fact, both men did.

After being lowered and waking up in the full mounting position, Emeev managed to escape the danger by reversing the position to reach the top. And even after losing that position, the 33-year-old Russian returned to work with aggression and pressure, winning the decision on the scorecards of two of the three judges for the ninth victory in his last 10 fights. .

All three cageside scores were 29-28.

Zawada also had something to overcome in the third round, and he almost did. He was knocked down several times in the first two rounds and a right hand from Emeev right at the horn that ended the second round – or a split second after the horn – opened a cut near the left eye of the 30- German by a year. He fought most of the 3rd round with blood dripping into his eyes, yet he almost did his job by winning a dominant position.

Instead, it was the third loss in his last four fights for Zawada, who had not competed since 2019.

– Wagenheim

Watch this fight on ESPN +.

Women’s bantamweight: Vanessa Melo (11-8, 1-3 UFC) defeats Sarah Moras (6-8, 3-6 UFC) by unanimous decision

For three rounds, Melo pursued, throwing strong fists. She ate a few blows in the process and not every big hook landed, but she did enough for her to win the win.

Melo defeated Moras by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) in a gallant women’s fight, the first UFC women’s fight in 2021.

The most significant strike came in the second round. Melo hit a combination that culminated in a shovel from the left hook, cracking Moras in the nose. Moras’ muscle fell after the fist landed and her nose became bleeding. Moras had some success with her kicks and kicks. But there was no doubt that Melo landed harder with his fists throughout the fight.

Melo, 32, had a three-fight shot. The Brazilian got her first UFC victory. Moras, a 32-year-old native of Canada, has now given up two and five of the last six.

“I feel very happy and honored to get my first UFC win,” Melo said. “I can’t even explain how happy I am. I just want to keep evolving, train harder and keep growing.

“I’m honored to be here, it was an honor to be on the first Fight Island, an honor to be here with the fans for the first time – it’s not that many fans, but it’s beautiful, it’s a new beginning for the UFC and everyone. “

– Raimondi

Watch this fight on ESPN +.

Men’s Featherweight: Austin Lingo (8-1, 1-1 UFC) defeats Jacob Kilburn (8-4, 0-2 UFC) by unanimous decision

Lingo had not fought since the first defeat last February. But it didn’t take long for him to return to the track, leaving Kilburn in the first 30 seconds. But his work was not yet done.

After Kilburn climbed back to his feet, Lingo began to burn him with sharp points, left hooks, and several straight hands on the way to secure his head on all three scorecards.

Two judges scored the fight with 30-26, and others had it with 30-27.

Kilburn, in his first fight in 2019, did not relieve her, despite the scorecards. The 25-year-old from Clarksville, Tennessee, tried elimination after elimination and, as the fight continued, he seemed to be the newest competitor. But he could not get out of the way of Lingo’s punches and suffered a second consecutive loss.

Lingo, 26, and fighting outside of Dallas, had not competed in Youssef Zalal’s unanimous decision in February last year.

– Wagenheim

Watch this fight without ESPN +.

He is coming; are being delivered:

Men’s featherweight: Max Holloway (21-6, 17-6 UFC, -160) vs. Calvin Kattar (22-4, 6-2 UFC, +135)
Welterweight: Carlos Condit (31-13, 8-9 UFC, -170) vs. Matt Brown (24-17, 15-11 UFC, +145)
Welterweight: Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-3, 9-2 UFC, -310) vs. Li Jingliang (17-6, 9-4 UFC, +250)
Average weight: Joaquin Buckley (12-3, 2-1 UFC, -300) vs. Alessio Di Chirico (12-5, 3-5 UFC, +240)
Average weight: Punahele Soriano (7-0, 1-0 UFC, +135) vs. Dusko Todorovic (10-0, 1-0 UFC, -160)

.Source