In the UFC Fight Night this weekend, Calvin Kattar will take on Arnold Allen. These two top-ranked featherweights will have a showdown for a spot in the top five. LowKickMMA’s Mike Owens got a chance to speak with Calvin Kattar’s head coach, Tyson Chartier, in an exclusive interview.
The trainer Tyson Chartier, offered a breakdown of how he sees Calvin Kattar squaring up against the English-born Arnold Allen. Chartier explained what skills he sees in ‘Almighty,’ stating:
“Yeah I think [Arnold Allen] obviously got good boxing he has good kicks too, good footwork, hits hard. Seems like a decent grappler. A lot of his fights do go to the ground. He’s got some slick takedowns. He’s got some good chokes. So I think it’s more like a boxer-Jiu Jitsu guy versus a boxer-wrestler.”
‘The Boston Finisher’ trains out of New England Cartel under Chartier. Before transitioning to MMA, Kattar had experience at the state level in high school wrestling. Since his switch to MMA, the US-born athlete Kattar has earned a 23-6 record.
See the full interview with LowKickMMA’s Mike Owens and Tyson Chartier below:
Calvin Kattar vs Arnold Allen just makes sense
Calvin Kattar’s head coach, Tyson Chartier, also discussed why this match is so important for the American athlete to accept. For Arnold Allen and ‘The Boston Finisher,’ it’s a fight that makes sense for both men. Chartier explained that Kattar is looking to get back into the title picture and needs this win. Chartier explained:
“It’s a fight that makes sense for both guys in the rankings. He’s the highest-ranked guy available right now, because you got to assume that [Josh] Emmett and Yair [Rodríguez] are probably going to fight. And [Brian] Ortega’s hurt, and Max [Holloway] is hurt. So, it makes sense. We’re trying to get back in that title picture so we have to beat the best guy available and that’s Arnold Allen.”
Calvin Kattar has defeated some notable fighters at featherweight including Giga Chikadze, Dan Ige, and Jeremy Stephens. However, the American fighter has also differed losses to Josh Emmett, Zabit Magomedsharipov, and Max Holloway. With a win in the main event this weekend, Kattar is hoping to get back to the world championship discussion.