Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Calvin Kattar
Originally slated as a home game for Kattar on last month’s event in Boston, this crucial featherweight contest was bumped back a month, with home field advantage reverting to Magomedsharipov. Now, with Dos Santos’ removal, it claims top billing on this month’s return to Russia, though the late change means it will remain a three-round affair.
This is the most intriguing matchup of the month to me, as Magomedsharipov has been expected to emerge as a title contender since his arrival in the UFC, while Kattar is one of those “far better than most people seem to understand” type of dudes that runs with the New England Cartel and is quite capable of getting his hand raised here.
So far, Magomedsharipov has been as good as advertised, posting five straight victories to push his winning streak to a baker’s dozen, most recently scoring a unanimous decision win over Jeremy Stephens. If there has been on knock on the mop-topped prospect, it’s been that his dynamic style leads to him slowing down late in bouts, but if that’s the only quibble, clearly the 28-year-old is doing something right.
Kattar has quietly put together a 4-1 record in the UFC (and a 20-3 record overall) with wins over Andre Fili, Shane Burgos, Chris Fishgold and Ricardo Lamas, while his lone setback came against Top 10 fixture Renato Moicano. The 31-year-old from Methuen, Massachusetts is one of those guys who isn’t going to wow you with flashy moves or blow you away in any one area, but he’s fundamentally sound and fights within himself, which means he’s always in the fight and capable of beating literally anyone the UFC puts in front of him on any given night.
