Featherweight Calvin Kattar was awarded his letterman jacket honoring 50 clean tests under the UFC’s Anti-Doping Program this week, a span that has seen him prove to be a clean athlete again and again across an eight-year period.
That honor arrived on Wednesday, days out from from his fight with Steve Garcia at UFC Nashville on Saturday.
While most fighters would boast of receiving an award for a clean test history, Katter feels like it’s something everyone should be doing anyway.
“Of course [I’m] proud but at the same time, I don’t really like getting congratulated for sh*t I feel like you should do already,” stated Kattar (23-9) during his ensuring UFC Nashville media day session. “But it’s nice that they recognize it, because I appreciate all they do for the sport, to keep it a clean sport.”
That clean test history now spans two eras of the UFC Anti-Doping Program, as Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) and Drug Free Sport have taken over for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
“In my mind, you should be doing that anyway. But apparently it’s not the norm. Some guys, if you look at the history, it’s not always the case. So I appreciate their efforts and what they do to keep the sport clean, but to me and my mindset, that’s the last thing I’m thinking about, to try to get an edge that way. The fight game’s tough enough and then to jump through all these hoops to take certain things that are going to give you a slight advantage – I put my focus on the meat and potatoes, the day in and day out training, and just being prepared for Fight Night.”
Kattar is entering UFC Nashville on a perilous skid, but perhaps surprisingly, his mental approach to fighting hasn’t budged. “I didn’t really change much in my mindset. That might sound crazy to some people given coming off some losses, but I don’t think my mindset was the problem heading into those fights.”
Rather, he added, “I’m definitely looking going out there and doing what I didn’t do in the last few.”
Kattar noted that during his losing streak, he suffered an ACL injury (against Arnold Allen), and faced a world champion (Aljamain Sterling). Youssef Zalal then took a similar approach to Sterling, though that one appears to have rubbed Kattar the wrong way. “I don’t really care about much of the things he said after the fight, it shows kind of his immaturity.”
The outcome, regardless, is the same. Kattar has lost four straight against Allen, Sterling, Zalal, and Josh Emmett, though he discounts one of those apparently, saying he’s 0-3. Either way, coming back against Steve Garcia, “It’s always the next one, it’s got my full attention. There’s never easy fights in the UFC. I’m prepared for a tough fight, and I’m ready to go put on a show for the UFC Nashville fans.”
While Kattar has predicted a finish on Saturday, Garcia himself suggested the fight will go the distance. Despite the differing predictions, Kattar allowed that Garcia, on a five-fight winning streak, is a “tough kid,” adding “we’re both on streaks, and on Saturday I look to put an end to both of them.”
Watch the full UFC Nashville media day appearance by Calvin Kattar above.
