Calvin Kattar has told fans to expect a show as he seeks to take out Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Speaking exclusively to Time Out Abu Dhabi ahead of the main event bout on Sunday January 17, Kattar said he is “feeling great”, and is raring to get back into The Octagon.
Kattar comes into Fight Night on the back of two wins from two in 2020 – dispatching Jeremy Stephens by knock out and Dan Ige via judges’ decision.
But it has been a very different 12 months of fight prep for the State-side fighter, with the pandemic forcing him into a training regime Sylvester Stallone would be proud of.
He said: “I had the old Rocky bag workouts going, using a bike, just training out of my brother’s garage. That was my strengthening and conditioning.
“Things have stabilised a bit. We ended up getting a location where we could put up a cage and continue to work with our close group of guys.
“Definitely not the quantity of guys we had in 2019, but we never really needed them to begin with. It was more just a small group of guys putting in the work.
“The beginning of 2020 it was a little tougher, gyms shut down on us. We got some garage workouts in and made do with what we could.”
The hotly-anticipated showdown is being held at the all new Etihad Arena at Yas Bay, and is welcoming a limited number of fans back ringside.
Kattar is looking forward to having his name etched into the record books as one of the first men to take to The Octagon at the UFC’s latest home – but wants that entry accompanied by a W.
“I’m pretty excited, it seems to be the theme this past year,” he said.
“First show back in May, first live sporting event since the pandemic, now we’ve got the first live event on ABC, and first event with crowds coming back.
“A lot of firsts but that doesn’t change what I have to do on Fight Night which is take out Max Holloway.”
Strict health and safety protocols are in place for the event, and attendees will need to abide by a number of enhanced security measures.
While Kattar is pleased spectators are enjoying a continued return to normalcy, he only has eyes on his opponent come Fight Night.
He said: “I’m kind of tuned in when I’m fighting. You can hear them definitely, but I don’t focus on it, so it’s not something I focus on during the fight.
“But it’s a special moment after a fight when you get a crowd cheer after a big finish.
“I’m excited that fans are able to get back to some normalcy after not being able to attend live events for a year. I know it’s tough on people.
“It’s a good checkpoint for things getting back to normal as a whole and everyone seeing live events – getting out of the house.”
In Holloway, he faces a fellow American with a similar record to his own (Holloway 21-6-0 vs Kattar 22-4-0) and the head-to-head is set to be a blockbuster meeting.
“Tune in grab, your popcorn and get ready for a fight,” Kattar said.
“Me and Max always deliver and this fight’s not going to be any different.”
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