Calvin Kattar will be back in action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship for the second time this year at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Sunday.
The 37-year-old will take on Steve Garcia of the USA in a featherweight bout. The card will be headlined by the heavyweight main event fight between Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira.
“I’m well prepared and settled. Got here last week, and I’ve been training as usual. I’ll be ready for the fight,” Kattar said in an interaction with Sportstar.
“He (Garcia) is a tough guy. From what I’ve seen, he’s an aggressive and forward-pushing fighter. And I know I’m at a disadvantage against fighters like him. But I think it’ll be a fun one for the fans,” he added.
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Garcia enters the bout on the back of a five-fight win streak, while Kattar has suffered four straight losses. His latest came in February earlier this year, against Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision.
However, Kattar hopes to bury the past and take it one fight at a time. “I’ve trained for this fight like usual. If I show up and perform to the best of my abilities, I know I can be a problem for anyone in my division. So, I’ve prepared myself both physically and mentally,” he said.
“At the end of the day it’s always me versus me till I enter the cage. When you work hard enough, the results will follow,” he added.
Kattar, who was once ranked sixth in the featherweight rankings, has had a downfall in recent times. Following constant losses and fight withdrawals due to injuries, Kattar is on the cusp of exiting the top 15. He is currently ranked 14th, but a win against Garcia would do a world of good for Kattar.
“I’ve managed through my downfall because of my proactive mindset. I’m aware that you can get to the highest of highs of this game, but the opposite is also possible. Even if you’re coming off a win, you cannot be looking back at the results and sulking. If you’re on a win streak, that doesn’t mean you’re untouchable,” Kattar said.
“But it’ll be great to go in and get my hand raised,” he concluded.
