A bout with title ramifications at 145-pounds is set to be announced for the UFC’s trip to New England on October 18, as the UFC is expected to shortly announce a contest between top featherweight up n’ comers Zabit Magomedsharipov and Calvin Kattar.
UFC president Dana White revealed to ESPN on Tuesday that the fight between Magomedsharipov and Kattar will serve as the co-main event for the organisation’s return to the TD Garden in Boston, representing something of a hometown scrap for Massachussetts native Kattar.
The Russian fighter (17-1) has been near perfect since debuting with the UFC in September 2017, where he has won five straight bouts in the ultra-competitive featherweight frame. Most recently he bested Jeremy Stephens across three rounds at UFC 235. Prior to that he claimed submission of the year honours with a stunning Suloev Stretch submission win against Brandon Davis.
The Dagestan native couples an outstanding array of strike attacks with the type of grappling many have come to expect from that particular region of Russia and a win against Kattar — who is a rising star in his own right — could fast-track talk of a title shot which has been steadily growing in recent months.
Kattar (20-3), meanwhile, has posted a 4-1 record in five UFC fights to date and recently earned successive first round finishes against Ricardo Lamas and Chris Fishgold. A defeat to Renato Moicano remains the only black mark on his UFC career thus far and his only defeat since February 2010.
Chris Weidman’s light heavyweight debut against Dominick Reyes is currently slated as the main event for the upcoming card.
