UFC on ESPN 13: Calvin Kattar vs Dan Ige Betting Preview, Odds, Prediction

Cavin Kattar and Dan Ige are headlining the Wednesday’s UFC event at the Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. The two featherweight guys are going against one another in the hope that a win in this clash would secure them a brighter future, the one which includes a title fight sometime soon. Both Kattar and Ige are among the top ten fighters in their division and are hoping to continue their progress. However, a win in this event is more than necessary. 

Preview

Kattar (21-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is a slick, tactical and cautious guy who knows when to strike and then lay back and wait for another chance to hurt. However, we need to point out that he had 10 first-round finishes, and that he never lost via TKO in his career.

On the other side, he knocked out 11 of his rivals, and had eight fights going to the distance, meaning that he knows how to behave in various situations. 

Both of his UFC losses were via decision, the last one against Zabit Magomedshiparov in the Fight of the Night, at the event they headlined. This one took place in November last year, and after that, Kattar jumped back into the saddle with a win against Jeremy Stephens at the UFC 249. Kattar scored this one via TKO after vicious elbows from which Stephens didn’t have any defense.

Since joining the UFC, the 32-year old defeated Andre Fili, Shane Burgos, Chris Fishgols and Ricardo Lamas besides Stephens, and all these wins except the one against Fili came via knockout. 

Ige (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is the new rising force in the UFC, and with just one loss since joining the organization, he seems to be one hell of a prospect. With 28 years, there is enough time for Dynamite which is his nickname, to improve his skills and to perfect the skillset.

He lost only the debut in the UFC against Julio Arce via unanimous decision. After that, he went on a six-game winning streak which saw him defeat, among others, Danny Henry, Kevin Aguilar, and in the most recent two battles, Mirsad Bektic and Edson Barboza. 

These last two fights took place this year, in February and May, and they both came via split decision. The judges’ decisions might have been reasonable or not, but we need to say that Ige showed excellent performances in thee meetings and that he didn’t deserve to lose. By the way, Bektic and Barboza are excellent fighters, and they presented a solid test for the American, who passed it with very high grades.

Prediction

These two guys are ready for a war, and that is for sure. The stake is high here, with both of them knowing that Wednesday’s battle might launch them into the orbit when talking about the featherweight division. Having in mind that they can absorb a lot of punches and that their chin is pretty solid, we are suggesting to bet that the fight would go to the distance. 

The moneyline on that is pretty solid +135, and we believe it is worth risking.