Tag: UFC on ABC 1

Before UFC on ABC 1, Max Holloway details meeting with Dana White on future

How soon can Max Holloway compete for a title again – if he beats Calvin Kattar at UFC on ABC 1?

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] knows his work inside the octagon is the only way back to gold ahead of Saturday’s UFC on ABC 1 headliner.

Holloway (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC), a former longtime UFC featherweight champion, competes in his first non-title bout since June 2016 this weekend when he clashes with Calvin Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a main event matchup.

After losing back-to-back title bouts against reigning 145-pound champ Alexander Volkanovski, Holloway is looking to find a way to retake his spot atop the mountain. It’s not often fighters get a third opportunity when they’ve lost to one person twice, but Holloway said a meeting with UFC president Dana White prior to accepting the matchup with Kattar gave him a better idea of his journey moving forward.

“We just want to see what was going, what the road looked like, and he pretty much said what he said,” Holloway told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “He said, ‘Go out there and keep working, kid, and we’ll see what happens (for a title shot).’ We’ll figure it out. We always do. All I can control is what I do in the octagon, and come Saturday night I’m going to go do my job and then I got a manager to control all those things outside the octagon. He’s going to have to do his job after Saturday night, but first things first, I’ve got to go out there and do my thing and show the world what’s up.”

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UFC on ABC 1 takes place at Etihad Arena. Holloway vs. Kattar headlines the main card, which airs on ABC and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.

Although Holloway’s recent record shows three losses in his past four fights, he knows that each was competitive, and in title fights. Still, though, some have speculated about whether the Kattar matchup is a crossroads contest.

Holloway said he doesn’t see it that way. In fact, he views the upcoming bout with Kattar as a fresh start.

“I’m 0-0 no matter what,” Holloway said. “That’s what it is. Calvin is a very dangerous guy. I can’t get too ahead of myself. He’s standing across from me. He worked his way to be across the octagon with me for a reason. At the end of the day I respect him a lot, but we get to find out what he’s about come Saturday.”

The last time Holloway dropped consecutive fights came in 2013. He responded in incredible fashion, stringing together a 13-fight winning streak (tied for second longest in UFC history) that included winning the interim title, undisputed title and recording multiple title defense.

Past success gives Holloway great hope for his future, and he’s looking for a new streak to begin at Kattar’s expense.

“If it’s another 13-fight win streak, then why not? But let’s make it like 14 or 15 so we’re not tied with other people,” Holloway said. “There’s records I still want to grind for, and there’s records that I have that I want to make it hard for people to get to. At the end of day we just working hard, and I put my nose in the dirt and just keep working hard.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz4NN_eQJt0

UFC on ABC 1: Max Holloway, Calvin Kattar faceoff

Check out the pre-fight faceoff between UFC on ABC 1 headliners Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar outside Etihad Arena on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi.

Check out the pre-fight faceoff between UFC on ABC 1 headliners Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar outside Etihad Arena on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi.

Video: Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar faceoff ahead of UFC on ABC 1 headliner

It was a tense yet respectful scene between Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar as they came eye-to-eye for the first time before UFC on ABC 1.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] and [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] came face-to-face for the first time ahead of their UFC on ABC 1 main event on Thursday.

Former UFC featherweight champ Holloway (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) and surging contender Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) had a tense but respectful staredown in their first official pre-fight encounter. And with it, the build continues toward fight night.

The faceoff took place outside Etihad Arena on Yas Island, the same venue which will host UFC on ABC 1, which airs on ABC and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.

Watch the video above to see the staredown between Holloway and Kattar.

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

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

UFC on ABC 1 pre-event facts: Max Holloway’s chin is legendary

The best facts and figures about UFC on ABC 1, which features a Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar main event.

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The UFC kicks off its 2021 campaign on Saturday with UFC on ABC 1, which marks the promotion’s return to network television.

Headlining the card on ABC, which follows prelims on ESPN+, is a high-stakes featherweight clash between former longtime champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC), who looks to snap a two-fight losing skid, and the red-hot [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 45 pre-event facts about UFC on ABC 1.

Carlos Condit enters UFC on ABC 1 on final fight of contract: ‘A lot riding on this fight’

Although things feel uncertain for Carlos Condit, he knows for sure that he wants to “(expletive) up” Matt Brown.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag]’s contract with the UFC is coming to an end this weekend.

The former UFC interim welterweight champion revealed Wednesday that he’s got one fight left on his deal – this Saturday’s co-main event showdown against fellow veteran Matt Brown at UFC on ABC 1.

Approaching the final fight on his contract, Condit knows there’s a lot at stake.

“I have my mind supremely focused on this fight getting this thing handled,” Condit told reporters at UFC on ABC 1 media day. “There’s a lot riding on this fight – a lot of guys getting cut, a lot of people on the chopping block.

“To mention the losing streak, I’ve won one of my last six, so it’s not a great record for my last contract. I’m up for renegotiation, too, so a lot going on in this respect.”

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Condit (31-13 MMA, 8-9 UFC) is unsure of what will go down beyond Saturday whether he wins or loses against Brown (22-17 MMA, 15-11 UFC). Condit hasn’t “thought that far ahead” and plans to take one step at a time. Condit is coming off a decision win over Court McGee at UFC on ESPN 16 back in October. The victory snapped a five-fight losing streak

Although many things feel uncertain for the 36-year-old, there’s one thing he knows.

“I want to finish Matt Brown,” Condit said. “It doesn’t matter (how). I’m going to (expletive) up Matt Brown.”

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Matt Brown on UFC on ABC 1: ‘It’s not out of the question this will be my last fight’

Matt Brown is nearing the end of his career, with UFC on ABC 1 potentially being his final fight.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] is nearing the end.

Over the years, the UFC welterweight became a fan favorite through his high-octane fighting style and back-and-forth brawls – but all good things must come to an end.

Brown (22-17 MMA, 15-11 UFC) isn’t ruling out his UFC on ABC 1 co-headliner vs. Carlos Condit on Saturday could be his swan song. His family is something he’ll consider when it comes to any further decisions beyond Saturday.

“It’s not out of the question this will be my last fight,” Brown said Wednesday at a pre-fight news conference. “Again, I’ll go home after and reevaluate then. I’ve got three kids and businesses and all this stuff. That’s the hard part of life. Fighting is kind of the easy part, to be honest. I miss my kids. That’s what it really comes down to – all the time away from the kids. They don’t deserve that.”

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Brown and Condit (31-13 MMA, 8-9 UFC) have long been linked due to the similar level of high-energy excitement they often bring to the cage. The two welterweights have been booked twice before, once in December 2013 and once in April 2018. Both times, the matchup fell through.

For years, Brown has admired Condit from afar. Now that they are closer than ever to finally fighting each other, Brown’s respect for “The Natural Born Killer” hasn’t wavered.

“I’ve wanted this fight for a long time,” Brown said. “I’ve looked up to Carlos. He was in the WEC before I was in the UFC. I was watching him, and I was a fan. I’ve always been a big fan of his. I will, on Saturday, get to go in there and go to battle with him and go put him out and still be a fan after. I hope the best for him.”

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

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Dana White reacts to Spencer Fisher’s CTE admission, says UFC continues to invest in research

UFC president Dana White says there’s still much to learn about brain injuries in professional sport, and admitted the issue of brain issues is “part of the gig” in combat sports.

Following recent comments from former UFC fighter [autotag]Spencer Fisher[/autotag], who revealed this week that he’s battling the effects of CTE, UFC president Dana White admitted that there is still much to learn about the issue of brain injuries, and even hinted at first-hand experience of issues caused by head trauma in combat sport.

The organization announced last week its continued collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic and its Professional Athletes Brain Health Study, and donated $1 million to the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.

Speaking to MMA Junkie on “UFC Fight Island” ahead of UFC on ABC 1, White explained that the UFC is continuing to work with industry leaders as they try to learn more about the issues of brain injury in professional sports.

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“Listen, we’re all learning every day about the brain injury stuff,” he said. “We’ve been investing in this (Lou) Ruvo Center to try to figure out more. We’re now interested (about) this thing just came out on Real Sports about psychedelics, and we’ve actually reached out to the Johns Hopkins guys and we’re diving into that.

“But listen, (Fisher)’s not the first, and he’s definitely not going to be the last. This is a contact sport, and everybody who’s ever done this (while) younger, myself included, is dealing with brain issues. It’s just part of the gig.”