Kattar Bounces Back; Improving Fight Resume

In MMA, as in all sports, you win some and you lose some. Though there is not a single person who likes to lose, losses are undoubtedly important. Sometimes that loss becomes a learning experience and forces you to make that jump to the next level. For Calvin Kattar, this philosophy has become a method to live and train by.

Kattar, a 20 year old fighter from Methuen, Massachusetts, fought on the undercard of EliteXC’s first CBS show back in May. Kattar faced a tough opponent in MMA veteran James “Binky” Jones and ultimately succumbed to a rear naked choke at the end of the first round. Kattar feels the loss has taught him a lot about fight preparation and knows he still has much to learn.

“I definitely have a lot to learn.” said Kattar, “The fight with Binky taught me a lot about preparing for fights as well to handle the jitters in the big show. However, I was not satisfied with my performance. From here forward, I plan on coming out as a different fighter.”

Kattar trains at Premier Martial Arts in Derry, New Hampshire. Kattar was able to secure the fight with Jones after his trainer and manager, Chris Konelas, was contacted through Jiu Jitsu practitioner Cesar Gracie.

Coming from a strong wrestling pedigree, as a high school senior Kattar posted a record of 36-3. The experience in wrestling allowed for a smooth transition to MMA, and was just of the many signs growing up that Kattar felt he was bound for an MMA career.

“The transition to MMA worked extremely well for me. Actually, all the guys I had lost to in wrestling I thought if I only could have punched them I would have won.” Kattar laughs, “My takedown skill has obviously helped my game tremendously, though that’s not to say I didn’t catch my share of Guillotines in the beginning.”

To supplement his training regiment for the fight with Jones, Kattar spent a week in California with the Gracie Fighter team and the likes of Cesar Gracie, Jake Shields, as well as Nick and Nate Diaz.

“It was an amazing experience getting to train with the Gracie Fighter team and the Diaz brothers. Since Binky is a Jiu Jitsu guy, we spent a lot of time defending submissions and scrambling to the feet. My gameplan was to keep the fight standing because that was his weakness and my strength.”

The EliteXC card in May was undeniably a milestone for MMA. Being the first major network broadcast of a live MMA event, being part of the card had its positive implications. Kattar’s bout with Binky Jones was the very first fight on the unaired preliminary card. Despite the loss and the lack of exposure to the millions at home, Kattar tends to believe it will be an experience he will never forget.

“Being part of the first Saturday Night Fights card is something I will never forget. I felt honored to be part of such an important chunk in MMA history. There were so many people who could have got that chance, and I feel very fortunate to be one of them.”

Kattar was never under any sort of contract with ProElite or any of their subsidiaries, and thus plans on taking his career one fight at a time wherever he can get them.

Most recently, Kattar took on Kevin Roddy in a headline bout at Combat Zone 26. Kattar looked to silence the doubters with a win over a tough Kevin Roddy. And silence he did—when a quick barrage of punches along the fence early in the first round knocked Roddy limp to the canvas.

Kattar takes on Bobby Diaz at the World Championship Fighting event next Saturday, November 15th in Wilmington, Massachusetts. Diaz has previously taken on the UFC Welterweight Tamdan McCrory and gained a first round submission victory at the last World Championship Fighting event.

“I am very excited about my next fight, seeing as it is right in my neck of the woods. I plan to have a great showing of people there. Of course I’d love to see myself eventually fighting for larger promotions, but I am taking everything one fight at a time and seeing what doors open up along the way. Either way, I am prepared for some great experiences.”