Unstoppable: Calvin Kattar received 1000 significant strikes in 10 UFC matches

MMA (mixed martial arts) is a sports discipline that combines elements of various martial arts. Here you can hit with both hands and feet and wrestle on the ground.

Large bets on MMA indicate that this is a popular sport. Fans are constantly trying to predict who will win the fight, and bookmakers puzzle their brains, thinking hard about the probability of the outcome of various events.

The success of this sport and betting on MMA lies in the fact that these are spectacular and brutal fights on the verge of a foul. Every fighter here is an angry beast who wants to achieve the desired victory by any means necessary. And the presence of various techniques contributes to the maximum fascination of the ordinary spectator by the fight – here, they are much more exciting than in boxing, for instance.

What is a significant strike?

Before proceeding to the article’s main topic, it would be beneficial to understand the terminology of MMA in more detail. A slight necessary digression for those who are not ardent fans of this sport.

A significant strike is the one that hits the target. It may not sound charming, and it doesn’t look so, either. But this strike gets to the body or head of the opponent, causing injury.

Why is it called “significant”? The thing is that it is these blows that the judges record and take into account when determining the winner. Simply put, the fighter who landed more significant strikes has a better chance of winning the fight. They indicate that the fighter himself has good technique and that his opponent has poor defence skills because sometimes receiving a large number of strikes is connected to the inconsideration or aggressiveness of an opponent who does not think about his protection and keeps trying to attack.

Who is Calvin Kattar, and what is he famous for?

Calvin Kattar is famous for his uncompromising fighting style. During the previous fights, he has made the audience fear more than once. And not it’s not just ordinary MMA fans, but also the president of the UFC, Dana White.

What was the reason to worry about him? During the fight between Calvin Kattar and Max Holloway, which took place on January 16, 2021, Dana White was afraid that the fighter would just die after the fight – since he received a record number of significant strikes in a single match – 445! It set a record in the history of the UFC. There has never been such a battery before.

But Calvin Kattar fought to the end and did not even think about surrendering. And that is despite the fact that it was evident that the fight had already been lost, and there was nothing to get out of it. Such stubbornness is the main reason why Kattar set a record of 1,000 significant strikes in 10 matches, and most of them were landed by Holloway.

Dana White was notably nervous during the fight, which was evident in his talking to executive Vice President Hunter Campbell, which was published online. Dana insisted that as soon as the fight was over, it was necessary to immediately take the fighter to the hospital for urgent medical treatment and couldn’t understand why the match wasn’t stopped earlier by the referee – it lasted the full 5 rounds.

Stubbornness did not help Calvin him – the judges awarded unanimous victory to Max (50-43, 50-43, 50-42). In addition, Holloway received a substantial salary – 470,000 dollars. But Kattar also received a prize of 115,000 dollars. It is worth noting that they performed in the UFC on ABC: Holloway vs Kattar tournament on January 16 2021, and other equally entertaining matches took place there as well.

Was it worth it risking his life? This is a rhetorical question. On the other hand, perhaps this is precisely how the killer instinct of a true fighter is formed – when you fight until the end, no matter what.

Receiving 1000 significant strikes in 10 matches – a new Calvin Kattar UFC record UFC record

The symbolic mark was reached recently, during Calvin Kattar’s match with a Georgian fighter Giga Chikadze. It took place as part of the UFC Vegas 46 tournament from January 15 to 16, 2022.

Kattar won by unanimous decision (23-14; 5-3). It was noticeable that the opponents got tired of wrestling after the first round, and they shifted into a fierce fight without an ounce of compassion towards the opponent.

It only makes sense that in such a “massacre”, many significant strikes were inflicted: Kattar received 128 and landed 144 strikes.

And although the fight itself ended well for Calvin, one of the worst and biggest records of the UFC was set – a mark of 1000 significant strikes received was reached in just 10 fights. And the final result of the fight with Chikaze is very impressive – 1120 blows. For comparison, Angela Hill, whose record is the closest to this one, received 1,000 significant strikes in 15 fights. However, we should highlight another specificity of Calvin. Despite this vast number of received strikes, he has never been knocked down or knocked out. Which, broadly speaking, displays exceptional persistence, indomitable spirit, and fighter force. But surely, Kattar should think about the defence since such a number of strikes cannot be a sign of a high level of training for a fighter in terms of withstanding the punches of the rival. Maybe Calvin should work on specific fighting techniques, which, of course, is his own decision.

By the way, another pattern is noted here – the more experienced a fighter becomes, the more he can withstand. Each violent contest such as this one makes the body more prepared for injury while the wounds begin to heal faster. Not only is the character getting more robust, but the athlete’s physical condition as well.

Dane White’s reaction

UFC President Dana White enjoyed the fight. And again, he made a comparison with the match between Kattar and Holloway, which is not surprising – the fights are similar not only in date (January 16) but also in the overall way the events evolved, only now the bad guy was Calvin Kattar himself. Dana noted that, for sure, few people bet on Kattar in a fight against a Georgian kickboxer – but Calvin was unbelievable! The UFC President said that this is the way to start the year and noted Kattar’s superb elbow strike.

A little bit about other matches of UFC Vegas 46 tournament

Among other fights that the audience remembered for the opponents’ uncompromising stand, it is worth noting the fight of Jake Collier against Chase Sherman, where Jake won by a spectacular chokehold in the first round. Another notable fight also ended in the first round, in which Viacheslav Borshchev defeated Dakota Bush. And by the way, it was the debut match of the Russian athlete in the UFC.

In general, the tournament must’ve created many positive impressions for any MMA fan because it was a spectacular day, full of impressive techniques and skilful blows displayed by the fighters.