Exclusive | Calvin Kattar questions whether Arnold Allen can compete with top 5 caliber opposition: “We’re gonna see how he handles it”
Calvin Kattar is set to face off against surging British star Arnold Allen in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in the near future.
Kattar recently spoke with LowKickMMA in an exclusive interview, where he gave his thoughts on Allen. Whilst ‘The Boston Finisher’ clearly has respect for the Brit, he does also raise the point that Allen is yet to face off against a true top 5 featherweight.
“This kids on the way up,” states Kattar. “He’s like 8-0, something like that. Climbing the rankings. Doing what he’s gotta do. And to me it’s just another target moving in my direction… They’re all just opposition and an opportunity for me to go out there and prove why I’m one of the best in the world, and change my life with another win.”
“If your able to go 9-0 in the UFC it’s impressive. That being said, I don’t know if he’s ever fought anybody like myself or of that top-five caliber. We’re gonna see how he handles it.”
Calvin Kattar on Arnold Allen’s win over Dan Hooker
Arnold Allen’s biggest win to date is his recent victory over Dan ‘The Hangman’ Hooker, who had made the move down to 145lbs in an attempt to make a run at the title. Allen would stop Hooker in his tracks, knocking the CKB fighter out in the first round.
Calvin Kattar had the following to say about Allen’s win over Hooker:
“Congratulations. It’s a big W. Probably his biggest win to date, like you said. I mean, other than that, I didn’t really think much about it. Good job. There are so many other guys coming up in the rankings, he’s not the only undefeated guy coming up. There’s a few of them. And I’m not really looking behind me as much as I am in front of me. So, it’s kinda like, I think I’m gonna fight all of these guys eventually. In what order, I don’t know.“
Calvin Kattar reacts to taking the Allen fight on 6 weeks’ notice
Calvin Kattar vs. Arnold Allen will take place on Oct. 29, a mere six weeks away. Whilst the likes of Kevin Holland may scoff at the idea of this being a short-notice fight, one should bare in mind that this is a top-five fight with potential title ramifications for both men. Kattar discussed how this shorter style fight camp has become the new standard for UFC fights, with his recent main event clash against Josh Emmett having a similar 7-week notice. He does also note that it is not necessarily a negative change:
“(Josh) Emmett was seven weeks. It seems to be the new norm here in the UFC, these quick camps. There are pros and cons to everything. The Giga (Chikadze) camp was 14 weeks, that was forever, it felt like. That sucked in itself. Even though you have all the time in the world, that sucked too you know. As good as it was, it was a long camp. I got covid twice during that camp. That’s how long it was.”
