Athletes
Calvin Kattar | Focused On The Task At Hand
Featherweight Calvin Kattar Returns To Action Hoping To Defeat Youssef Zalal At UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Rodrigues
It hasn’t been an easy road for Calvin Kattar over the past few years.
Kattar has dropped three contests in a row: one controversial decision to Josh Emmett, one by injury to Arnold Allen and one unanimous decision to Aljamain Sterling. Despite all the road bumps, Kattar has always remained positive and doesn’t stay focused on the past for too long, instead focusing on what he can control. For him, that means getting back in the gym and always improving his skillset.
“(The takeaways are) always just how to improve every day, win or lose,” Kattar said. “Ideally off wins but never stop learning and be a student of the game. I'm excited to have another opportunity to just go out and compete on Saturday night.”
FOLLOW @UFCNEWS: On Facebook | On Instagram | On X
Still ranked in the Top 10, Kattar aims to bounce back and defend his spot in the featherweight division when he faces surging contender Youssef Zalal, who comes into the matchup inside the APEX on Saturday night on a six-fight win streak. Kattar is eager to test himself against someone that earned all his wins in the Octagon last year by submission.
“Every fight is tough, exciting,” Kattar said. “To go 3-0 in the UFC is not an easy task, so he's definitely deserving of a test against the Top 15. I've just got to go out and prove why I belong and am competing with the best guys in the division and at the top of the rankings. We've both got something to prove come Saturday night and I think that makes for the best fights.”
Kattar was slated to face Kyle Nelson last September but had to withdraw due to an injury. Even though he hasn’t had a fight lined up besides that one, Kattar has had the fight week energy, as he helped teammate and friend Rob Font throughout his training camps, as well as being in his corner during his fight in October. Having the fight week and fight night energy has kept Kattar motivated throughout his time away from the Octagon.
UFC SEATTLE: View The Card | Buy Tickets | Vip Experiences
“Rob is on a tear right now in training and you saw it in his last fight,” Kattar said. “He's looking to compete again soon and just keeping up with him and putting in the work every day in the gym, that's motivation enough, and on fight night I'm more than ready.”
Zalal made his UFC debut back in 2020, where he competed inside the Octagon for seven fights before he was released from the promotion. But after winning three in a row on the regional circuit, Zalal was called back to the Octagon, where he rattled off three submission wins in a row.
For Kattar, the biggest advantage he believes he is bringing to the fight doesn’t have anything to do with physical abilities.
“Against anybody, not just specifically him, (the biggest advantage) is my mindset and how bad I want it,” Kattar said. “Simple s***. You see what lengths I'm willing to go to every time I step in there and I don't know how much these guys want to get to that level if need be. I feel like stepping in there on fight night and being ready for anything will do me solid.”
Even though this fight is only scheduled for three rounds, Kattar believes that should the fight make it into the later rounds, it will play into his advantage. Zalal hasn’t needed the judges’ scorecards since his fight against Da’Mon Blackshear in 2020. Either way, Kattar is looking to get back in the win column and defend his spot in the featherweight rankings. And he believes Zalal is the perfect test that will make for a great fight.
“For me, it's just a checkpoint to myself to get a W, get my hand raised, make that walk again, and good things come from that,” Kattar said. “Youssef is a tough test, and it usually brings out the best in me when you fight top-caliber guys. I expect nothing but a solid performance come Saturday night against Youssef.”
The Massachusetts native hopes for a busy 2025 and one filled with plenty of wins, and that starts Saturday night against a hungry Zalal.
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Rodrigues took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 15, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!