Tag: UFC on ABC 1

UFC on ABC 1 video: Max Holloway, Calvin Kattar final faceoff before fight night

UFC on ABC 1 headliners Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar had one final staredown before sharing the octagon on Saturday.

ABU DHABI – Featherweight contenders [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] and [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] got a final good look at one another on Friday ahead of UFC on ABC 1.

After both men successfully made weight, Holloway (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) and Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) engaged in one last faceoff before stepping into the octagon with one another. And much like their first encounter earlier in the week, a respectful intensity was shared between the two sides.

UFC on ABC 1 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. The main card airs on ABC and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.

Watch the video above to see the final staredown between Holloway and Kattar ahead of fight night.

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UFC on ABC 1 video: Max Holloway, Calvin Kattar on weight for main event

The first UFC main event between Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar is official.

ABU DHABI – The UFC’s first main event of the year between [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] and [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] is locked in.

At Friday’s official UFC on ABC 1 weight-ins, Holloway (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) and Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) had no issues on the scale as they successfully hit the featherweight limit for their headlining matchup, with both men coming in at 146 pounds even.

UFC on ABC 1 takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. The main card airs on ABC and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.

Watch the above video to see Holloway and Kattar make weight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cjlIym78Iw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt-xJL8GeyA

5 burning questions heading into UFC on ABC 1

MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle walks you through five key questions UFC on ABC 1 should answer.

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The UFC kicks off its 2021 slate with a bang Saturday.

UFC on ABC 1 marks the promotion’s return to network television after a two-year absence since leaving previous broadcast partner FOX Sports. It is the first of three events in eight days in Abu Dhabi. And the first UFC main event of 2021 looks like a potential barnburner on paper, as former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] takes on fast-rising Bostonian [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] in a five-round scrap.

UFC on ABC 1 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on ABC and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+. 

Without further ado, then, here are five burning questions that UFC on ABC 1 should answer.

UFC on ABC 1 weigh-in results and live video stream (4 a.m. ET)

MMA Junkie is in Abu Dhabi for the UFC on ABC 1 weigh-ins, and you can follow along right here for the results.

ABU DHABI – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC on ABC 1 weigh-ins, which kick off at 4 a.m. ET (1 a.m. PT) at Etihad Arena.

The same venue also hosts Saturday’s card, which has a main card on ABC and ESPN+, with prelims on ESPN+.

Among those weighing in are former featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) and [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who meet in the main event, as well as [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] (22-17 MMA, 15-11 UFC) and [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag] (31-13 MMA, 8-9 UFC), who fight in the welterweight co-feature.

Complete UFC on ABC 1 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (ABC/ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)

  • Max Holloway () vs. Calvin Kattar ()
  • Matt Brown () vs. Carlos Condit ()
  • Li Jingliang () vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio ()
  • Joaquin Buckley () vs. Alessio Di Chirico ()
  • Punahele Soriano () vs. Dusko Todorovic ()

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, noon ET)

  • Phil Hawes () vs. Nassourdine Imavov ()
  • Joselyne Edwards () vs. Wu Yanan ()
  • Carlos Felipe () vs. Justin Tafa ()
  • Ramazan Emeev () vs. David Zawada ()
  • Vanessa Melo () vs. Sarah Moras ()
  • Jacob Kilburn () vs. Austin Lingo ()

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Jon Anik says UFC Fight Island stretch will be ‘most challenging week’ of his career

Jon Anik has covered plenty of shows throughout his career, but no stretch will be more hectic than the UFC’s upcoming run on “Fight Island.”

ABU DHABI – Jon Anik has covered plenty of shows throughout his career, but no stretch will be more hectic than the UFC’s upcoming run on “Fight Island.”

Anik, who will serve as the play-by-play guy for all three events, has a packed schedule ahead of him. With UFC on ABC 1, UFC on ESPN 20 and UFC 257 happening in a span of eight days, Anik faces plenty of preparation ahead of a star-studded week.

“It’s not ideal,” Anik told MMA Junkie and other reporters on Thursday. “I have a lot of respect for the NFL guys that do 17 straight weeks. A lot of our play-by-play guys have never even done a back-to-back. I think that’s just the nature of our beast. There’s so much that goes into the preparation and if you just want to play a numbers game – say 26 fighters times three, 75 fighters if you’re giving everybody an hour, that’s 75 hours. That’s two work weeks.

“I try to give every fighter an hour and in a back-to-back situation like this, with another show sandwiched in between, it’s impossible. So I’ll do the best I can to turn the page to Chiesa-Magny on Monday, but I gotta start my UFC 257 card on Tuesday. So I’ll be sort of double dipping a little bit, and this will be the most challenging fight week that I have ever gone through. To have other things on my plate during a pay-per-view week is something that I’ve never experienced.”

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The UFC on ABC 1 main card, headlined by Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar, airs on ABC and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.

UFC on ESPN 20, headlined by Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny, takes place Jan. 20 and airs entirely on ESPN.

UFC 257, headlined by the return of Conor McGregor in a rematch with Dustin Poirier, will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

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Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar, UFC on ABC 1 preview show | MMA Junkie

The #UFC schedule for 2021 opens with UFC on ABC 1 featuring a Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar main event on #UFCFightIsland in Abu Dhabi. MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn and Farah Hannoun preview the card and top storylines.

The #UFC schedule for 2021 opens with UFC on ABC 1 featuring a Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar main event on #UFCFightIsland in Abu Dhabi. MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn and Farah Hannoun preview the card and top storylines.