Calvin Kattar opens up on losing skid ahead of UFC Nashville
Kattar (23-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) meets rising featherweight Steve Garcia (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) on Saturday's main card (ESPN, ESPN+) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Once on the cusp of title contention, Kattar has struggled in the octagon as of late. He explained what he needs to change to ensure that he returns to the win column.
"I've just got to get started a little earlier," Kattar said in an interview with the UFC. "I'm kind of used to that later pace, that five-round fight still. Tough, the way the last few of them went. But just being able to cut off the cage a little better when these guys get on their bikes and just run around, being able to corner them a little bit better. Other than that, each time you step in there, you've got to kind of reset. Even off a win, I wouldn't really be focusing on the last fight. We've got this one in front of me, and he's got my full attention."
Garcia has knocked out his past five opponents in a row. His past nine wins have all come by finish.
"Aggressive, great fighter – he's done what he's had to do with his opponents," Kattar said of Garcia. "He's doing his thing right now. He's got a lot of momentum, and we've both got some streaks going into this fight. On Saturday, my plan is to go out and put an end to both of them."
Kattar finds himself as a slight underdog against Garcia. However, the 37-year-old is no stranger to stopping rising contenders, after snapping both Dan Ige and Giga Chikadze's win streaks in the past.
"I feel like the higher up you climb, the harder it gets," Kattar said. "Each check point, you kind of re-evaluate where you're at, and for me, I think we're at a crossroads where he's on his way up and people might be counting me out because of my last performances. But I think it's going to make for a hell of a fight because I don't see myself on my way out. I think I've got something to prove. I've got a chip on my shoulder, and that's when I usually perform at my best."
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