Callout Collection: Who UFC on ESPN 13 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Khamzat Chimaev and Mounir Lazzez were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC on ESPN 13 in Abu Dhabi.

Calvin Kattar

Wants to fight:[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]

The callout: “If I make my case, I don’t (have) to do it with my mouth. I do it in the cage. All these other guys, they all talk. Where I’m from, we don’t really talk about stuff too much. We go out and prove. We earn it. Here, (shot-calling) is not really the business model, so it’s a little bit of an adjustment for me. I go out. I fight and I try to earn every opportunity in front of me. The champ should see that. He’s saying he wants contenders and you’re not going to find one more ready than myself.”

The reality: Strip away all of the hoopla and hype, and MMA is just about as straightforward a sport as you could find. Two athletes step into a cage and throw down to decide who the better fighter is. It’s a no-frills sport, and [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] is a no-frills contender.

As he articulated superbly after his win over Dan Ige in Abu Dhabi, Kattar explained that he’s not the calling out type, but we’ve reached the point where, callouts or not, “The Boston Finisher’s” performances are impossible to ignore.

He demolished Jeremy Stephens, then halted Ige’s remarkable run of form. Now Kattar surely stands on the precipice of a title opportunity. Such is the quality of competition at the sharp end of the 145-pound division, the UFC matchmakers will likely ask him to pick up one more win before he gets his shot. But there can be no denying his championship credentials. Whether it’s a title shot or a title eliminator, expect Kattar’s next assignment to be the biggest of his career.

[opinary poll=”alexander-volkanovski-vs-calvin-kattar_m-EJWP26″ customer=”mmajunkie”]

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