At a glimpse, Max Holloway’s record over his past four fights is alarming. The former UFC featherweight titleholder is 1-3 in those contests, but more than a glance is needed to see the full picture of Holloway’s recent run. Each of those three setbacks came in a five-round championship fight. One of the 29-year-old’s losses occurred at lightweight. The other two defeats were close enough in the mind of UFC president Dana White that there was talk about a third scrap between Holloway and the man who bested him, Alexander Volkanovski. All three losses were via decision.
That 1-3 stretch follows a 13-fight winning streak, which is the longest undefeated run of any UFC fighter in the history of the promotion’s 145-pound weight class. Five other UFC featherweights have put together seven-fight winning streaks in the past.
Holloway’s opponent on Saturday, Calvin Kattar, has won his past two battles. The 32-year-old is coming off a knockout win over Jeremy Stephens and a five-round decision win over Dan Ige.
Speaking to Yahoo Sports, Holloway does not sound worried about his recent record.
“That last fight, there is nothing I can be mad about,” said Holloway. “Eighty to 90 percent of the world thought we won the fight. Like I said, this ain’t just fans saying that; this was a who’s who. Firas (Zahabi) GSP’s coach said it. ‘Big John’ McCarthy said it; the guy who pretty much invented the rules. Then you got guys like Nate (Diaz), Dustin (Poirier), Justin Gaethje, (and) Jorge (Masvidal, who all thought I won).”
As for Kattar, he too is confident.
“I don’t feel like the stage is too big or anything like that,” Kattar told MMA Junkie. “I know I belong in these moments. (I had) just a little tactical error (in my first main event against Magomedsharipov). I cleaned it up with Jeremy (Stephens) and Ige, and now I have a big test ahead of me with Max Holloway, who is arguably one of the best featherweight fighters of all-time. It’s great to have these opportunities and just show where I stack up among the division’s best.”
UFC Fight Island 7 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena. The main card airs on ABC and ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.
UFC Fight Island 7: Holloway vs. Kattar head-to-head stats
| Stat | Holloway | Kattar |
|---|---|---|
| Stat | Holloway | Kattar |
| Sig. Strikes Lander Per Min. | 6.47 | 5.01 |
| Striking Accuracy | 44% | 41% |
| Strikes Absorbed Per Minute | 4.52 | 5.66 |
| Striking Defense | 61% | 56% |
| Takedown Avg./15 min | 0.22 | 0.47 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 83% | 37% |
| Takedown Defense | 83% | 88% |
| Submission Average Per 15 min | 0.4 | 0 |
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