The second installment of the UFC’s Fight Island series will take place on July 15, 2020, at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The event has been dubbed as UFC on ESPN 13 and it will be headlined by a five-round featherweight bout between Top 10 contenders Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige.
Kattar has dropped two out of his last five bouts but is coming off a sensational knockout win over longtime contender Jeremy Stephens. Kattar has been favored in five out of his seven UFC bouts but has only two wins over that period. He closed as a -250 when he knocked out Stephens.
On the other hand, Dan Ige has been the underdog in half of his last six bouts but has won all of those contests. Ige closed as a +120 when he defeated Edson Barboza in his most recent assignment. He was a +140 dog when he suffered his last defeat against Julio Arce in his UFC debut in 2018.
Let’s take a look at both fighter and preview Wednesday night’s main event:
Calvin Kattar is the UFC’s 6th ranked featherweight. Known as the Boston Finisher, the 32-year old from Methuen, Massachusetts has been a professional fighter since 2007 and has appeared for Combat Zone, Elite XC, and CES before joining the UFC in 2017.
Kattar stands 5-11 tall and has a reach of 72 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. He has a record of 21-4 with 11 knockouts and 2 submission victories. Kattar is 5-2 inside the UFC octagon and is coming off a second-round knockout win over Jeremy Stephens at UFC 249 last May 9, 2020, so this is a short turnaround fight for the Boston Finisher.
Kattar is a volume striker who averages 5.29 significant strikes per minute with a 41% striking accuracy. He has a striking defense of 55% but his brawling fighting style has allowed opponents to hit him with an average of 6.46 significant strikes per minute. Kattar doesn’t have much of a takedown game with an average of 0.28 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 28% takedown accuracy. He has a takedown defense of 77%
The Boston Finisher has a high school wrestling background but prefers to fight on his feet where he has finishing power and fast hands. He has a polished boxing game and sets up his punches very well. Kattar has serious pop in his punches and knows when to throw them. His last four wins have ended in a knockout.
Dan Ige is the 10th best featherweight in the UFC. Known as 50K, this 28-year old from Hawaii has been fighting since 2014 and he has fought for promotions like the Legacy Fighting Championship, Pancrase, RFA, and Titan FC. Ige earned his UFC contract via the Contender Series.
50K stands 5-7 tall and has a reach of 71 inches while fighting as an orthodox fighter. He has a record of 14-2 with three knockouts and five wins via submission. Ige lost his UFC debut via decision to Julio Arce at UFC 220 but since that loss, he has picked up since consecutive wins. His last three wins have come against Kevin Aguilar, Mirsad Bektic, and Edson Barboza.
Ige is also a prolific striker who lands an average of 4.12 significant strikes per minute with a 48% accuracy. He absorbs only 3.13 significant strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 58%. 50K has a good takedown game as he averages 2.15 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 34% takedown accuracy. He also has a takedown defense of 61% and average 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Ige is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and is impressive on the canvass. He has some knockout power but he prefers to fight on the mat. He also has a very good gas tank which has allowed him to pick up six wins in eight fights that went the distance. 50K has outstruck five of seven UFC opponents and has landed one takedown in each of his UFC bouts.
Kattar is a high-output fighter and he has excellent conditioning which allows him to keep his pace for the entire duration of the fight. He likes to put on an offensive show and doesn’t mind getting hit because he has a solid chin. The Boston Finisher has never been knocked out in his MMA career.
Ige is a balanced fighter who can fight on his feet and the canvass. He has struck five out of his seven UFC opponents and has also landed a takedown in each of his octagon appearances. He is on a six-fight winning streak and has not lost since dropping his first UFC bout.
50K is an interesting fighter here because he is on a six-bout winning streak and comes at a decent plus money. Ige is the more complete fighter between the two and given his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background, he can finish Kattar on the ground.
However, I think that Kattar is going to take this bout. Every fight starts on the feet and Kattar has the boxing and power to dominate this bout.
Ige can be wild in the stand-up and that’s where Kattar will take advantage. The Boston Finisher will pick up the points on his feet and I won’t be surprised if he picks up the stoppage win here. I won’t blame you if you take the plus money and ride Ige’s momentum. But I think that Kattar is the safe bet here.
Prediction: Calvin Kattar (-310)
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