Calvin Kattar hopes to add UFC title to long list of New England championships
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Calvin Kattar put every featherweight on notice after his first-round TKO win over Ricardo Lamas at UFC 238.
“The Boston Finisher” continues to live up to his name with exciting finishes and elite-level boxing every time he steps into the octagon. Born in the City of Champions, Kattar is destined to bring UFC gold to Boston as he climbs the ranks at 145 pounds.
“I like to single out the arts and emphasize the strikes. Doing boxing allows me to have the upper hand when I step in there.”
Kattar has some of the best stand-up in the UFC. He also carries a solid wrestling base that compliments his skill set. When it comes to boxing, he tries to get work in with real boxers to enhance the confidence he has in his hands.
On to the next one.
“It’s a great checkpoint,” said Kattar when asked about his new #9 ranking. “As we say in New England, I’m not done yet.”
Studying the legacy and mindset of the New England Patriots, Kattar embodies the “Do Your Job” mentality and has short celebrations often, before he’s ready to get back to work. Whether it’s Jeremey Stephens, Alexander Volkanovski, Jose Aldo, or Renato Moicano, Kattar never turns down fights and is ready for whoever is placed in front of him- as long as it’s a big name in his hometown.
Following his most recent win, headlines began to surface of a potential card in Boston this Fall. Needless to say, Kattar wants in. He wants to get, “more asses out of their seats,” if given the opportunity to headline is his backyard. Although open to other opportunities, headlining Boston trumps anything the UFC could put in front of him at the moment.
Putting New England MMA ON the map and influencing the next generation.
When asked about representing New England in mixed martial arts, Kattar said without hesitation, “There’s nothing better.” For the local, there is nothing more proud than to be a sports figure and fan in Boston.
While the city may have molded some of today’s greats–David Ortiz, Tom Brady, Paul Pierce–Katter is working on controlling the MMA scene in hopes to build something special for years to come.
“Only thing we don’t have is a UFC champ yet, and I told Dana we are working on it.”
Kattar is back in the gym helping Rob Font prep for UFC Greenville, and is ready for the next opponent on his quest to bring a UFC championship to New England. “We’re almost there, but not done yet,” said Kattar. Lamas is the first ranked fighter to fall at the hands of Calvin, now he’s now focused on proving he can hang with the elite at featherweight. Calvin isn’t the only fighter making noise out East though.
Font and Kyle Bochniak are both in the UFC doing great things too. Contender Series also features some New England natives, such as Jay Perrin and William Knight. When asked about influencing the next generation, Kattar shared, “It’s great but it’s a really a byproduct of the main mission: change my life and my family’s life. If in the process I’m inspiring people to do what they love… then all the more reason, I’m pumped to do that.”
Calvin is the type of guy to put more on his plate to see how much he can handle, then run through it. As for New England MMA, it’s growing and he’s, “excited to be out there representing.” Although Kattar is an influence for many fighters on the rise, he’ll admit that it’s them that give him inspiration. The Bostonian claims amateur fights are about heart since they’re still working on technique, and it’s their hunger that fuels his drive.
Kattar is on a quest to bring home undisputed gold to Boston and celebrate with a parade; not only etching his name in the history books, but also putting Boston on the map–giving the city their first UFC champion.
Listen to our full interview with Calvin Kattar, on The Scrap’s official SoundCloud:
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Joel Torres is a co-owner of The Scrap and its current CEO. Torres is obsessed with MMA and holds a Masters of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology from University of Southern California. Make sure to follow Joel on Twitter (@joelisacoolkid).
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