The top two fights for the UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view card in Brooklyn, New York promise to be one of the most exciting main/co-main combinations of the year. One's a strawweight title rematch in the co-main, as long-time champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, attempts to win back her belt against Rose Namajunas. The main event features undefeated Dagestani wrecking machine Khabib Nurmagomedov taking on Tony Ferguson, the interim champion riding a 10-fight win streak. The two opening bouts should be action-packed too - former champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will be dueling submission ace Michael Chiesa, and perennially exciting warriors Paul Felder and Al Iaquinta will open the main card.
Sandwiched in the middle is a fight that is getting very little attention by comparison. Renato Moicano and Calvin Kattar are two names that are largely unknown to the average fan, despite owning a combined professional record of 29-3-1, including one UFC loss between them. These two rising featherweight contenders are set to put on a high-level clash, one that is sure to be of great importance to the division going forward, according to the Beacher report.
The fighters
Boston’s Kattar will make his third appearance when he walks into the Octagon on April 7th. In his previous two bouts, he defeated featherweight staple Andre Fili by unanimous decision, before handing dangerous Shane Burgos his first professional loss via TKO in a fight of the night in Kattar’s home state, at UFC 220 in January.
Kattar impressed in his debut fight, but showed he was the real deal in January in a back and forth war with Burgos, who at the time was one of the most dangerous and fast-rising contenders in the division. Kattar displays a very well-rounded striking game, with a wide array of calm, accurate strikes that play into his really impressive conditioning and durability.
28-year-old Brazilian Moicano, was just a step or two away from true title contention before his previous fight against Brian Ortega - who just so happens to be the hottest property in the 145 lb division right now. He held an impressive decision win over seasoned veteran Jeremy Stephens, an undefeated record, and a well-rounded game based on strong kicks and lightning fast counters.
He dropped that fight after a massive tactical error, choosing to initiate a takedown on the UFC’s best submission specialist, but the fight really showed the incredible chin and durability of Ortega, more so than any major shortcomings in Moicano’s game. He’ll be coming out to prove a point that he still belongs in the title picture. After all, he does hold a recent win over Stephens, ranked number five in the division and most likely one win away from a title shot.
The matchup
Both fighters are coming off Fight of the Night honors, and looking at how their styles match up, they may be in contention for the award again. Both have shown a strong willingness to stand and trade in close quarters - although Moicano displayed a very defensive game plan against Stephens, he likely won’t be so afraid of Kattar’s power.
We should see the version that fought Ortega, looking to throw hard with three/four/five strike counters.
Kattar may have an advantage the longer the fight goes. Against Andre Fili he started slow, only to stay strong through rounds two and three, while Fili began to wilt. Similarly, he was able to pull out a third-round finish against Burgos, although "Hurricane" Shane’s pressure appeared to wear on Kattar in the second round of their fight. Moicano though tends to throw everything into his combinations, which wears on his gas tank as the round goes on. Kattar’s style is much more efficient, valuing the accuracy of his strikes as opposed to raw power. It’s important for him that he sticks to this, as he does get carried away at times, winging big hooks and uppercuts that will be easily countered in this matchup.
The key for Moicano is to utilize his wider array of tools, in particular, his kicking game. The most underused part of his game, he displays beautiful kicks from both sides, a snapping rear kick from the right side that he uses to attack high or low, and a smooth switch kick from the lead left side, perfectly hidden behind his punches. He should be able to cause some discomfort for Kattar’s boxing-based style.
Moicano also has an accomplished ground game, complete with a black belt in BJJ and a strong takedown game. His willingness to fight on the ground got him in trouble against Ortega, but Kattar won’t present the same danger off of his back. Expect Moicano to look for takedowns towards the end of each round, but he may also look to take the fight to the ground much earlier if he believes he’ll have a large advantage in this area.
Kattar, on the other hand, will be looking to counter any takedown attempts with right hands, either uppercuts or over the top, the two strikes he used to finish Burgos.
The featherweight division right now is one of the deepest and most stacked in the sport, with seasoned veterans, exciting prospects and tough veterans on the rise, all competing to make it to title contention. Currently, Holloway and Ortega are sitting at the top of the division, two of the hottest fighters in the entire promotion. Whoever takes out their fight and comes out with the belt will have a host of hungry fighters who want their shot, and the winner of Kattar vs Moicano may well be just one or two wins away.
A piece of advice - if you need to choose a moment during the card to go to the bathroom, get food, or move away from the TV for any reason, make sure it’s not during this fight.
