Calvin Kattar likely lost his spot in the featherweight Top 15 with another lopsided defeat at UFC Vegas 102.
UFC featherweight mainstay Calvin Kattar‘s descent in the division continued on Saturday at UFC Vegas 102 at the Apex.
Facing unranked but streaking featherweight Youssef Zalal in the UFC Vegas 102 co-main event, Kattar struggled to counter Zalal’s heavy output throughout the three rounds. Despite a late rally in Round 3, Kattar’s boxing was largely ineffective against the grappling ace Zalal, who surprised Kattar with his power on the feet.
After three rounds, Zalal defeated Kattar by unanimous decision for his fourth-straight UFC win since returning to the promotion last March. Meanwhile, Kattar has now lost four consecutive fights and will likely lose his No. 10 spot in the featherweight rankings next week.
Calvin Kattar slides out of the featherweight mix with lopsided defeat at UFC Vegas 102
It’s been a steep slide for Kattar since a lopsided defeat to former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway in Jan. 2021. Since the Holloway fight, Kattar has lost four of his last five fights, including a unanimous decision loss to then-featherweight debutee Aljamain Sterling in his most recent bout at UFC 300.
Kattar’s fighting future is uncertain after UFC Vegas 102. While he had some positive moments against Zalal, the 36-year-old Kattar is now firmly out of the featherweight title mix after extending his ongoing losing streak.
After a split decision loss to Josh Emmett at UFC Austin in June 2022, Kattar tore his ACL just seconds into Round 2 of his main event clash with Arnold Allen later that year. Kattar didn’t compete in the Octagon until the Sterling fight at UFC 300, capping off an 18-month hiatus.
Kattar earned the title of UFC fan favorite following earlier wins over the likes of Shane Burgos, Jeremy Stephens, and Dan Ige. Kattar almost handed Zabit Magomedsharipov his first UFC defeat in Nov. 2019, but ultimately lost by unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.
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UFC Vegas 102 featured a veteran retiring, new stars shining, and a wild middleweight headliner
Kattar’s loss came after a slew of headline-worthy moments for the UFC’s return to the Apex. UFC bantamweight Julia Avila announced her retirement in the cage following a loss to Jacqueline Cavalcanti
Top prospects Jose Delgado and Gabriel Bonfim continued their quick ascents with standout performances on the UFC Vegas 102 undercard. Valter Walker, the brother of UFC star Johnny Walker, won his second consecutive UFC fight by earning a heel-hook submission finish.
In the main event, 40-year-old Jared Cannonier turned back the clock with a miraculous come-from-behind win over Gregory Rodrigues. Check out the full results from UFC Vegas 102.