by Scott Newman
This weekend sees the UFC head to Austin, Texas for its latest Fight Night card. While it lacks the name value of a big pay-per-view, it still looks like a strong event.
UFC Fight Night: Calvin Kattar vs. Josh Emmett features not only an excellent headliner, but some great talent up and down the card.
With that in mind, here are the predicted outcomes for UFC Fight Night: Calvin Kattar vs. Josh Emmett.
#1. UFC featherweight division: Calvin Kattar vs. Josh Emmett
In terms of name value, there’s probably an argument to suggest that this headline bout is lacking a little, but in terms of potential excitement as well as ramifications for the UFC’s featherweight title picture, it’s definitely a big one.
Right now, Calvin Kattar is ranked at No.4 in the division, while Josh Emmett is slightly lower at No.7. That means that while neither man is likely to cement a title shot with a win here, they could definitely put themselves in line for a top contender’s clash next time out.
Both men have been on excellent runs as of late, but interestingly, it’s Emmett who has the lengthier winning streak. He hasn’t lost since a violent and semi-controversial 2018 defeat to Jeremy Stephens, and is currently riding a 4-0 run, with the most recent win coming over Dan Ige.
Kattar, meanwhile, defeated Giga Chikadze in January in what was his first fight following a pretty decisive loss to Max Holloway a year prior. Before that, he’d also beaten Ige and Stephens, knocking the latter out in impressive fashion.
Is this likely to be a battle of strikers? On the face of it, probably. Kattar is essentially a straight-ahead kickboxer who tends to rely on his punches for the most part. While Emmett does have a powerful wrestling background, he also tends to wing heavy shots to win his fights.
Overall, ‘The Boston Finisher’ is almost definitely the smoother striker. His boxing skills are excellent, with only Holloway proving capable of picking him apart, and he chains combinations together brilliantly.
Emmett, on the other hand, is more stiff on the feet and can be picked apart and hurt, as we saw in his bout with Michael Johnson. Of course, his power is the great equaliser, as whenever he lands cleanly, he tends to put his foes away.
So who is likely to come out on top here? The biggest question is probably whether Kattar’s chin can hold up under the power that Emmett is likely to throw at him. Emmett has the power to switch any fighter off instantly, but to do that, he’s got to land cleanly first, and that puts him in danger.
With that in mind, as long as Kattar can avoid eating the perfect shot, then theoretically at least, this should be his fight to lose.
Originally appeared on https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/ufc-predictions-ufc-fight-night-calvin-kattar-vs-josh-emmett