With 90 seconds left, Max Holloway turned away from his opponent, Calvin Kattar, and told the broadcast team cageside that he was the best boxer in the UFC. On ABC, the network that has been a home for boxing since the 1940s, Holloway more than proved his point with his punches.
Holloway dominated Kattar via unanimous decision (50-43, 50-43, 50-42) Saturday in one of the most one-sided main events in UFC history. Holloway is the former UFC featherweight champion and the most decorated 145-pound fighter of all time. Saturday's fight might have been the best performance of his career at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi.
Afterward, Holloway said he will be staying in Abu Dhabi for another week and will make himself available if anything happens to UFC 257 main event fighters Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier.
UFC president Dana White, however, quickly rejected that idea, telling reporters that Holloway would be going home to rest. Still, White had nothing but praise for Holloway's performance, calling him "one of the all-time greats, period, in fighting."
"I think that people keep doubting Max and thinking, is old Max gonna show up? The guy who has lost a step and all this?" White said. "He just doesn't. A lot of people whom we all respect and know a lot about this sport picked Kattar to win tonight. Let's give Kattar the respect he deserves, too. It takes two to make a great fight. Incredible."
Holloway could be next in line for another title opportunity. White said that he believes Holloway "deserves" another shot at current welterweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, to whom Holloway has lost two close fights, but Holloway will have to wait. Volkanovski's next fight will come against Brian Ortega on March 27 at UFC 260, sources told ESPN's Ariel Helwani.
ESPN had Holloway ranked No. 2 and Kattar at No. 6 in the world in the featherweight division coming in. The card was the first UFC event to air on ABC and the first since 2018 to air on network television.
The scorecards were tied for the most lopsided in a five-round fight in UFC history, along with a bout between Rich Franklin and David Loiseau at UFC 58 in 2006. The 50-42 score was only the second ever in UFC history after Franklin vs. Loiseau.
Holloway has always been an exceptional striker. But he came out from the very first round with a different kind of ferocity. Kattar landed some nice jabs and hard right hands throughout. But for every one of those, Holloway returned volley with long, diverse combinations, targeting the head, the body, the legs and more. Holloway landed hard elbows and knees to the gut. The avid gamer was like a fighting video game character come to life.
"If you ain't a Max Holloway fan, you're a hater," Kattar said. "Kid's a beast. Did what he had to do. Good luck to him and hopefully the champ next, because he deserves another shot."
Saturday's main event broke several records. According to UFC Stats, Holloway landed a UFC record 445 significant strikes, shattering the previous mark of 290 that he set against Ortega at UFC 231. Along with Kattar's career-best 133 significant strikes, the fight also set UFC records for combined significant strikes (578) and significant strike differential (312).
Holloway's 141 significant strikes landed in Round 4 were also the most in a single round in UFC history.
The bout took place at Etihad Arena in front of capped amount of fans who have all gone through COVID-19 protocols. It was the first paid audience to witness a UFC event since last March.
The crowd was chanting for Holloway early, because of his flurries. Kattar landed some nice combinations in the first round, but by the end of the round Holloway's pressure and versatile combinations to every part of the body were taking over. Holloway came close to finishing in the second with long combinations, but Kattar held strong despite being bloodied late in the round with an elbow. The only thing more impressive than Kattar's toughness was Holloway's stamina.
Holloway didn't slow down at all in the late rounds. There were times when Kattar looked out on his feet against the cage with Holloway pouring oombination after combination, but referee Herb Dean didn't stop it. Late in the fifth, Holloway started taunting Kattar, dropping his hands and talking to the commentary booth in an astounding display of confidence.
"He looked like Muhammad Ali tonight," former UFC double champ and ESPN analyst Daniel Cormier said on the broadcast. "Max Holloway was floating and stinging. It was unbelievable."
Holloway (22-6) dropped two in a row to Volkanovski before this bout. Both bouts were very close, and many thought Holloway won the second at UFC 251 in July. Holloway, 29, is the most accomplished featherweight in UFC history. He held some form of the 145-pound title in the UFC from 2016 to 2019. Holloway, a Hawaii native, has the most wins (17), the most KO/TKO wins (8) and the most stoppage victories (10) in UFC featherweight history.
Kattar (22-4) had won two in a row and four of his past five coming in. The Massachusetts native has four finishes in six UFC wins, known for his jab and booming right hand. Kattar, 32, was coming off a unanimous-decision win over Dan Ige last July.
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January 17, 2021 at 06:34AM
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Max Holloway defeats Calvin Kattar in one-sided UFC main event - ESPN
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