Check out which UFC fighters of the past and present currently run their own promotions.
In the fight game, fighters fight and promoters largely promote. It’s a nearly exclusive rule, but there are some exceptions.
While promoters never fight, occasionally a fighter will promote.
An increasing trend in recent years, more and more combat sports athletes are testing out the waters of running their own promotions. Oftentimes, it’s a fighter who has some name recognition, buzz, or influence in the sport. There are exceptions to the rule, however – fighters who have just figured out how to run a regional promotion successfully.
There are the more obvious stars like [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag], who have used their big platforms to promote their recent dive into promoting. There are also others who have quietly promoted behind the scenes for years.
Scroll below to see which current and former UFC fighters currently run their own promotions.
Note: Promotions that have not held an event since before 2019 were not included in this list – and this list is not necessarily all-inclusive.
Calvin Kattar thinks he should have been the one fighting Yair Rodriguez for the interim featherweight title at UFC 284.
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] thinks he should have been the one fighting [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] for the interim featherweight title.
Kattar (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) was edged out by [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] in their UFC on ESPN 37 headliner. It was a fight he thinks he won.
After he beat Kattar, Emmett was booked against Rodriguez for the interim featherweight title, which co-headlines UFC 284 on Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
Kattar was matched up with Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night 213, but was on the receiving end of another unfortunate outcome. In that fight, he tore his ACL in a TKO loss due to injury.
Now that he has to watch Emmett (18-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and Rodriguez (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) fight while on the sidelines, Kattar says he likely won’t even tune in.
“I feel like I stand with the majority in thinking I should be in there that night, and it is what it is,” Kattar told MMA Junkie. “As far as being a fan watching that one, I might have to just get the update on what happens and not watch that one.”
According to Tipico Sportsbook, Rodriguez is a -190 favorite over Emmett, who’s a +160 underdog. Kattar thinks the odds are accurate.
“I see Yair being the slight favorite kind of overall everywhere, wherever the fight goes,” Kattar said. “But Emmett’s been in the game for a while. He’s a power puncher. He lands a big shot. Anything could happen. I feel like both guys have wrestling that’s – neither one of them’s got the advantage, I don’t think, in that.
“They’ve both got decent wrestling, so it’ll probably be a wash there. I think you give Yair the edge in the standup because he’s a little bit more dynamic with the strikes. But then again, Emmett’s got the power advantage maybe in that. So we just have to see how it plays out.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
UFC featherweight standout Calvin Kattar will take his time to recover from knee surgery before he seps back into the octagon.
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] will take his time to recover before stepping back into the octagon.
Kattar (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) tore the ACL in his right knee in a TKO loss due to injury against Arnold Allen in the UFC Fight Night 213 headliner this past October.
Although he is ahead of schedule in his recovery, the 34-year-old doesn’t want to make the mistake of coming back too soon. He won’t rule out a return this year, but thinks 2024 sounds more realistic.
“I think it’s possible, but I don’t want to push for it,” Kattar told MMA Junkie. “I kind of just want to sit back, be patient, and I feel like it’s not so much cutting off a couple of months – (I) just want to make sure I’m 100 percent when I get in there, and then this way I can just let it all go with reckless abandonment when I step back in there.
“I don’t want to have any second guessing stepping in there – should I have gone in too soon or not. I’ll just get that much more ready for an eventual return. I’m eyeing I believe 2024, first quarter for sure, and I’ll be ready to go with whoever they put in there with me next.”
Kattar’s loss to Allen marked his second straight after he dropped a controversial decision to Josh Emmett, who meets Yair Rodriguez for the interim featherweight title in Saturday’s UFC 284 co-main event.
Both losses came in an unfortunate nature for Kattar, but the Massachusetts native is willing to fight anyone upon his return.
“I want to fight everybody – whoever is in my way to the belt,” Kattar said. “My mindset was always just take them all out on my way to the belt. I kind of wanted to beat everybody before I even get the belt, so there’s really no challenges they could throw at me. That was always my mindset, my goal.
“For right now, it’s just recovery – getting back to being 100 percent healthy, and then eventually just taking out whoever they put in front of me next. I really don’t care who it is – just focus on getting back and competing at the level I know I can compete at.”
UFC featherweight contender Calvin Kattar feared the worse when he hurt himself vs. Arnold Allen – and his fear has come true.
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] won’t be fighting any time soon.
As was the fear of many after he injured himself in the UFC Fight Night 213 main event, Kattar (23-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) suffered a torn ACL against Arnold Allen. The injury ended the Oct. 29 main event between the two surging featherweights.
Now Kattar will have to undergo surgery in weeks’ time. The procedure is expected to knock him out of competition until late 2023.
Kattar announced the development in an Instagram post Friday after he recently underwent an MRI in the Boston area.
“There’s not much I can say, it is what it is,” Kattar said. “I tore my ACL, getting surgery in a couple weeks. Should be ready to go at the end of 2023. The goal remains the same.”
Kattar (23-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) fell to 1-3 in his most recent four with the defeat. The previous loss was a controversial split decision defeat to Josh Emmett. Meanwhile, Emmett moved to 10-0 in his UFC tenure.
Check out our MMA rankings update after UFC Fight Night 214 in Las Vegas.
The UFC was back at the UFC Apex this past weekend with a card that impacted the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings as of its Nov. 8 edition.
In the UFC Fight Night 214 main event, Amanda Lemos defeated Marina Rodriguez by standing TKO in the third round. Referee Jason Herzog’s stoppage was disputed by Rodriguez, but nonetheless Lemos picked up the biggest win of her career to replace Rodriguez in the 115-pound rankings.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,308, the guys chat with Ron Gallagher, a physical therapist in Vegas who has worked with many professional athletes. He gave the 411 on some of the injuries that have been occurring lately in MMA like [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag], [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] and [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag]’s. Ron talked discussed at what point the injuries appeared to actually happen and whether pushing them caused more damage. They also talked the [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] news and much more.
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
Check out our MMA rankings update after UFC Fight Night 213 in Las Vegas.
The UFC was back at the UFC Apex this past weekend with a card that impacted the USA Today/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings as of its Nov. 1 edition.
In the UFC Fight Night 213 main event, [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] kept his unbeaten promotional record alive as he defeated [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] via second-round TKO. The win came in unfortunate fashion, as Kattar suffered a right knee injury that ended the bout. However, for Allen, a win is a win.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings below.
Check out our MMA rankings update after UFC Fight Night 213 in Las Vegas.
The UFC was back at the UFC Apex this past weekend with a card that impacted the USA Today/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings as of its Nov. 1 edition.
In the UFC Fight Night 213 main event, [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] kept his unbeaten promotional record alive as he defeated [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] via second-round TKO. The win came in unfortunate fashion, as Kattar suffered a right knee injury that ended the bout. However, for Allen, a win is a win.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings below.
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag]’s sixth octagon main event ended in disaster when a knee injury brought end to his bout with Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night 213.
Kattar (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) hurt his leg off a missed jumping knee attempt near the end of the first round, then quickly went down at the start of the second frame, giving Allen (19-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) the TKO win in the featherweight contest at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
With back-to-back losses and three defeats in his past four fights, questions about Kattar’s future are now legitimate, especially if his injury proves to be significant.
What’s next for him? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Kattar’s future after UFC Fight Night 213.
Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 213, where Arnold Allen became just the sixth in history to go 10-0 in the octagon.
The UFC closed its October schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 213, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
In the main event, [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) kept his perfect octagon record intact when he picked up a second-round injury TKO win over [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) in their featherweight bout.
For more on the numbers to come out of the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 213.
