In the UFC Fight Island 7 main event former featherweight champion Max Holloway takes on Calvin Kattar.
Check out who the LowKickMMA writers are picking to win this mammoth main event….
Jordan Ellis: I’m backing Max Holloway in this one. In my opinion, he should be the featherweight champion right now, bad judging is the only reason he is not. Besides that, he is just an elite-level fighter and has been competing/beating the cream of the crop for years. Calvin Kattar is talented and powerful but I just imagine he will be outgunned in the UFC Fight Island 7 main event.
Prediction: Max Holloway
Ryan MacCarthy: I’m a big fan of the greatest featherweight of all time Max Holloway. Calvin Kattar is blossoming before our very eyes, and he’s getting better. I think he’s starting to hit his stride for his team, The New England Cartel. Fighting Dan Ige over five rounds was a huge 5-round experience for him in his most recent fight. Kattar kind of started too slow, but came back in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds. I cant stress enough how important this was for Calvin’s confidence and career progression. We know Max will take some damage in this fight. I think over five rounds, Max is gonna get hit with Calvin’s very dangerous right hand. So, this is gonna be super interesting to see how Max reacts to it when gets hit. This is a very very close high level fight to call. Im almost sure that this will go to a decision. But it will be full of fireworks and both men will walk away beat up after this war. I am so proud and impressed by the Boston based MMA team The New England Cartel and what coach Tyson Chartier has been able to do with Boston fighters Kattar and Rob Font, who had the biggest win of his career last month. So im going with my hometown team and picking Calvin Kattar by decision.
Prediction: Calvin Kattar
Alex Lough: A ‘Fight of the Year’ contender to start off 2021? I’m down. Holloway is coming into this fight off back-to-back losses, meaning he’ll desperately need a win in order to stay in the title picture and quell any naysayers that think he’s past his prime (despite not even being 30). The good news is, historically, Max always looks at his best when his back is against the wall. Kattar has all the tools to give Holloway a challenge; he’s as technical and methodical a striker as there is in the division, if not the UFC. I think the big difference in this fight will be the amount of pressure that Holloway is able to put forward. When he’s on his game, there’s just no way to prepare for what Holloway brings in that department. Kattar has the skill to keep the distance and pick Holloway apart if Max lets him, but Calvin’s only fight against someone near Holloway’s level was Zabit, and we saw he wasn’t able to do that in their fight. Holloway’s pressure and experience carry him to a decision victory.
Prediction: Max Holloway
Julian Pacheco: I cannot wait to start watching again UFC. I expect a great fight from both sides, my heart wants Kattar to win but I think Holloway will be over him constantly in order to avoid the reach advantage. Holloway 3rd round or by the end of second round.
Prediction: Max Holloway
Ross Markey: I‘ve been chopping and changing my prediction all week in regards to Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar. Two of the most technical strikers in the featherweight division today, capable of mitigating each other’s styles as well. Holloway always brings his smothering volume and masterful shot selection, while Kattar fails to ever put a step wrong it seems in regards to his movement. As sharp a boxing talent with clean hands at featherweight today, the New England Cartel standout may lack championship experience compared to Holloway, but it’s his comfort and composure when on the back foot which really catch my eye ahead of this one. A fast start and constant work from Kattar is needed in this one or he runs the risk of fate repeating itself following his shortcoming against Zabit Magomedsharipov. Holloway to eek out a decision victory, but Kattar proves himself in an impressive performance nonetheless.
Prediction: Max Holloway
Harry O’Connor: I’m very excited to have UFC back on a Saturday night and what a card to kick us off. For me Holloway won his last fight and should be the champion. That just tells me the that he’s at a level where he can compete and beat anyone in the division. I am a big fan of Calvin Kattar though, his stand up is very exciting and he packs some power in his punch. It’s certainly an interesting match up with Holloway’s impressive chin and volume of punches he throws. I think Holloway will show his class and wear him down with his level of activity, I’m going to go for a Holloway stoppage in round four.
Prediction: Max Holloway
Frank Bonada: The Blessed Express is back! The changes Holloway brought into his game for the Volk rematch were instantly noticeable and brutally efficient. His utilization off a muay thai stance lessened the effectiveness of Volkanovski’s legs kick, whilst also allowing him to employ head kicks, much to Volk’s detriment in the early rounds. Kattar is undeniably one of the most dangerous boxers in the division, and his reach advantage could definitely give him the edge in certain exchanges. However Holloways experience in main events, as well as his more versatile tool set will have him, in my opinion, picking up a unanimous decision victory.
Prediction: Max Holloway
I feel this is the most intriguing main event out of the three we have in Fight Island. Will Max be able to pressure Calvin like he did all other Featherweights prior to Volkanovski? Or will Calvins recent improvement keep going on and make it 3 in a row? I have a feeling that we’ll see a upset, the New England cartel have something special going on over there and I believe it will be a bit similar to the Max Dustin 2 fight where both will land but Calvin will have just a bit more power. Im going Kattar via unanimous decision.
Prediction: Calvin Kattar