MMAOB staff writer Adam Martin takes a deeper look at the main event of UFC Vegas 63, a five-round featherweight bout between Calvin Kattar and Arnold Allen. The event takes place on Saturday, October 29 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Arnold Allen (-120)
Allen (18-1) is the No. 6 ranked featherweight in the UFC. The 28-year-old Brit has been in the UFC since 2015 and since then he is a perfect 9-0 with notable wins over Dan Hooker, Sodiq Yusuff, and Gilbert Melendez. Allen has quietly made his way up the weight class because he doesn’t fight that often, averaging about one fight per year since joining the UFC. After knocking out Hooker back in March for his signature UFC win, Allen is now looking to make a statement against Kattar and move closer to a title shot. He is one of the dark horses of the division and it will be interesting to see what is next for him should he get past Kattar, but this is definitely going to be a tough fight either way.
Calvin Kattar (+100)
Kattar (23-6) is the No. 5 ranked featherweight in the UFC. The 34-year-old American joined the UFC back in 2015 and he is 7-4 so far inside the Octagon, with notable wins over Giga Chikadze, Dan Ige, and Jeremy Stephens. Kattar is as tough as they come and he’s shown that over the course of his five-year UFC career. He has some of the best boxing in the weight class and he also has a great chin, good defensive wrestling, and good cardio. Overall, Kattar is one of the most solid fighters in his division. A win over Allen in this fight and he moves one step closer to a title shot.
Fight Breakdown: This should be an awesome fight between two of the best featherweights in the UFC. Both Kattar and Allen have shown for years now that they are two of the best in their weight class, so matching them up against each other should answer questions about both men. While this should be a competitive bout just as the betting line indicates, I have to side with Kattar to get the win. The reason I lean toward Kattar is due to his Octagon experience in five-round main event fights. I believe that knowledge of going the full 25 minutes and doing it so often as of late will help him out in what looks like a close fight on paper. Allen is a great young fighter and he has a big opportunity here, but I believe it will be a learning experience for him, but not a win. Give me Kattar for the win, and he will likely do so by the decision given Allen has never been finished before.
Prediction: Calvin Kattar
