The UFC’s debut event on ABC will see a former featherweight champion look to re-establish his championship credentials against an in-form contender hoping to secure a shot at the 145-pound title.
The main event of UFC on ABC 1 will see former champ Max Holloway take on Calvin Kattar in a pivotal bout for the UFC’s 145-pound division, with Holloway (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) keen to return to winning ways after losing out to current champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 251 via an agonizing split-decision last July.
Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC), meanwhile, has strengthened his case for a shot at the gold by putting together an impressive run of form. “The Boston Finisher” has won four of his last five, including finishes of Chris Fishgold, Ricardo Lamas and Jeremy Stephens. Most recently, he halted the six-fight winning streak of fellow contender Dan Ige at UFC on ESPN 13 in July 2020.
Ahead of their bout, former UFC welterweight title challenger and UFC analyst Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy invites us into “The War Room,” as he takes a deep dive into the matchup and offers his technical pointers ahead of the fight. Check out his pre-fight assessment via the video above.
UFC on ABC 1 takes place Saturday, Jan. 16 at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The event airs on ABC.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.