Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar is the main event of the first UFC Fight Night betting card of 2021, taking place on Saturday, January 16 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
This should be an exciting stand-up fight between the former featherweight champion and current No. 1 contender Holloway, as he faces the No. 6-contender Kattar.
UFC odds opened with Holloway installed as a -168 favorite while Kattar comes back at +142.
We break down the UFC betting odds for this featherweight fight as we bring you our picks and predictions for UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar on January 16.
Holloway vs Kattar Fight Odds
| Method of Victory | Max Holloway | Calvin Kattar |
|---|---|---|
| Win outright | -168 | +142 |
| Win by KO/TKO | +460 | +340 |
| Win by points | +125 | +440 |
| Win by submission | +1,300 | +2,000 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Holloway vs Kattar Betting Preview
Max "Blessed" Holloway comes into this fight off back-to-back losses against current champ Alexander Volkanovski. However, both fights were close and many felt Holloway was robbed in the last bout, with FanDuel even choosing to refund bettors who wagered on Blessed.
Despite making his UFC debut in 2012, Holloway is still just 29 years old. Considered one of the greatest featherweights in MMA history, Holloway successfully defended the 145-pound title on three occasions and had a 13-fight winning streak in the UFC from 2014-2018.
Blessed is a long and rangy fighter with terrific kickboxing ability. He also has a solid chin, high-volume output and phenomenal cardio.
Calvin Kattar has won back-to-back fights, an impressive elbow knockout of Jeremy Stephens last May and a decision victory against Dan Ige in June. He's now 6-2 since entering the UFC in 2017, with both of those losses coming by decision.
Despite a background as an outstanding high school wrestler, Kattar prefers to keep things standing up with his fantastic boxing and vicious elbows. The Boston Finisher has lived up to his nickname, with four of his last five wins coming via KO/TKO.
Holloway vs Kattar Tale of the Tape
| Max Holloway | Calvin Kattar | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Age | 32 |
| 5-foot-11 | Height | 5-foot-11 |
| 145 lbs | Weight | 145 lbs |
| 69 inches | Reach | 72 inches |
| 21-6-0 (10 KO) | Record | 22-4-0 (11 KO) |
Holloway vs Kattar UFC Prediction and Betting Pick
PREDICTION: Holloway to win -168 -It's weird to think that Holloway is actually three years younger than Kattar, despite making his UFC debut five years earlier. While Holloway has lost three of his last four fights, the close defeats against Volkanovski and a decision loss when he moved up in weight to face Dustin Poirier shouldn't torpedo his value as a fighter.
Kattar has certainly looked good in his last couple fights, and has a three-inch reach advantage in this bout, but this will be a big step up in competition. He's also been a tad bit exposed in recent fights against strikers like Zabit Magomedsharipov and Renato Moicano, who are calm under pressure and utilize kicks to maintain distance.
Kattar might be "The Boston Finisher" but I don't see him finishing Holloway, who has never been knocked out—not even against Conor McGregor early in his career.
If Kattar can't get the finish, he'll be hard-pressed to outpoint Holloway, who throws accurate strikes at a high volume and can push the pace for 25 minutes.
PREDICTION: Holloway to win by points +125 - We mentioned that one of Holloway's biggest strengths is his gas tank and it's a good thing his cardio level is so high, because he rarely ends fights in the first few rounds.
While Blessed did have four knockouts in a row in the not-so-distant past, all of those bouts went until at least the final minute of the third round and – like Holloway – Kattar has never been finished by strikes in his career.
Holloway is more of a volume striker than a power puncher and with his last four fights going the full 25 minutes, look for him to win by decision.
PREDICTION: Fight to go the distance Yes -144 - This is an obvious play given our two early predictions. Both fighters have terrific stamina and granite chins.
Although Kattar has a reputation as a finisher, he's also gone the distance in two of his last three bouts and looked fresh at the end of 15 minutes in each of them. Kattar also went the distance in eight straight fights from 2011-2017. Bet on this bout to go the distance.
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