Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige share reputations for fearlessness inside the Octagon and a willingness to take on any opponent. The ranked featherweights were a natural fit to take on each other as they vie for position in a crowded division. They meet on Wednesday night to headline the UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Ige card in Abu Dhabi. The event emanates from UFC Fight Island, with the main UFC Fight Night card scheduled for 10 p.m. ET. The hard-hitting Kattar has seen his last four victories come by stoppage.
The sixth-ranked featherweight could face a stiff test from the No. 10-ranked Ige, who has overcome adversity to win two straight fights by split decision. The sixth-ranked Kattar is a -300 favorite (risk $300 to win $100), while the No. 10-ranked Ige is priced at +240 (risk $100 to win $240) in the latest Kattar vs. Ige odds from William Hill. In the co-main event, Tim Elliott (-120) faces Ryan Benoit (+100) in a matchup of flyweight prospects. Before making your UFC Fight Night picks for Wednesday, make sure you see what SportsLine MMA analyst Brandon Wise has to say.
A CBS Sports editor specializing in MMA, Wise has been dissecting the sport for more than five years. He specializes in picking main-card fights for UFC, which has enabled him to be profitable every year. Wise is in his second year of consistently delivering winners to SportsLine members. He went a perfect 5-0 at UFC 239 and was 4-1 at both UFC 245 and UFC 249. He also nailed Khabib Nurmagomedov’s destruction of Conor McGregor in 2018, Stipe Miocic’s upset of Daniel Cormier, Holloway’s downfall in 2019 and Justin Gaethje’s TKO victory over Tony Ferguson in May.
Since the UFC returned following a two-month period of inactivity due to the coronavirus pandemic, he has gone 29-13, while nailing the method of victory a remarkable 20 times. Plus, he has yet to have a losing record for a pay-per-view card. He is coming off a 4-1 mark at UFC 251 that netted his followers 3.00 units of profit while nailing the manner of victory on each correct fight prediction. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Ige fast approaching, Wise carefully has studied every matchup on the Fight Island main card, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his MMA picks for each fight. He’s only sharing those selections here.
Kattar vs. Ige expert preview
Wise has considered that the winner of the main event will earn some needed leverage for climbing the rankings in a top-loaded division that has no shortage of contenders. Both combatants are earning high marks among MMA observers for their noticeable improvement in every bout.
The 32-year-old Kattar (21-4) is fast earning a reputation as one of the most polished fighters in the division. The Boston native has consistently faced upper-tier competition since making his UFC debut in July 2017 with a win over the gritty Andre Fili.
His resume also includes victories over contenders such as Shane Burgos and veteran Jeremy Stephens, who he stopped in the second round of their May encounter.
But Kattar can’t afford to overlook Ige (14-2), who has quietly emerged as one of the promotion’s hottest fighters. The 28-year-old Hawaiian lost his UFC debut by decision to Julio Arce in January 2018 but has since reeled off six consecutive victories.
Ige has become known for overcoming adversity and prevailing in action-packed fights, with his last two victories coming by split decision. He edged out decorated veteran Edson Barboza in their May fight. You can see Wise’s Kattar vs. Ige picks here.
Top UFC Fight Night predictions
We’ll reveal one of Wise’s UFC Fight Night main-card selections here: He is backing Molly McCann (-170) to emerge victorious against Taila Santos (+145) in a matchup of women’s flyweight contenders.
McCann (10-2), 30, has cracked the UFC rankings at No. 15 behind a three-fight win streak following a loss in her UFC debut. All of those victories have come by decision, while the Englishwoman has displayed an improving skill set.
Santos (15-1), 27, earned a roster spot in the UFC on the strength of an undefeated run through various promotions and a win on “Dana White’s Contender Series.” Her resume includes an 8-0 mark in the Australian Fighting Championship. The Brazilian fighter dropped a split decision against veteran Mara Romero Borella in her UFC debut last February.
“McCann gets a green opponent coming off a loss in her UFC debut who has been out of action for nearly 18 months,” Wise told SportsLine. “Look for McCann to control this fight from the onset and score a strong decision win.”
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Wise also has strong picks for Kattar vs. Ige and every other bout on the main UFC Fight Night card. He’s also backing a fighter who “carries a massive amount of power in both hands.” You can see who it is, and get every pick for every fight on the UFC Fight Night main card, at SportsLine.
Who wins Kattar vs. Ige? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight on Wednesday’s main UFC fight card, all from the accomplished expert who has been profitable for five straight years, and find out.
UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Ige odds (via William Hill)
Calvin Kattar (-300) vs. Dan Ige (+240)
Tim Elliott (-155) vs. Ryan Benoit (+130)
Jimmie Rivera (-120) vs. Cody Stamann (+100)
Molly McCann (-170) vs. Taila Santos (+145)
Abdul Razak Alhassan (-360) vs. Mounir Lazzez (+280)
