Methuen’s Calvin Kattar sees Saturday’s UFC bout as ‘a good checkpoint’

“It took a long road to get here,” said Kattar, 32. “Fifteen years of busting my ass and earning every opportunity in front of me.”

It’s a journey that dates back to his days at Methuen High as a member of the wrestling team under the watchful eye of Bill James.

“He was a great first coach for me,” said Kattar. “He really impacted me at a young age, and just put me on a good path. Starting from high school, it’s such an important time. You’re so pliable as a teenager, he molded me into who I am.”

Kattar entered the program with limited wrestling experience, but impressed James with his competitiveness and hard work.

“He’s definitely come a long way from when I first met him,” said James, who still keeps in touch with his former pupil and is looking forward to watching Saturday’s fight. “He’s like a lot of high school kids; it took him a little time to find his way, but once he determined that he really wanted to be good at wrestling, he really turned himself around.

“Going into his junior and senior year is when he really started doing things the right way, working hard, putting in the extra work.”

Kattar finished his senior year ranked fifth in the state.

“I joke all the time, everybody that I lost to wrestling in high school, if I had just punched them in the face, I could have won,” said Kattar. “Technically they were just a little bit better.”

In UFC, Kattar is allowed to punch his opponents, which he does quite effectively, particularly with one of the best jabs in the sport.

His latest opportunity has him in the main event in the first UFC card to be televised on ABC, which seems fitting given the last two times we saw Kattar in the cage. Last May, he was on the main card for UFC 249 in Jacksonville, the first UFC event during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two months later, he was part of the first wave of fighters to head to Fight Island, on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, which was set up to allow international fighters to compete amid travel restrictions.

In both cases, Kattar embraced being part of something new, and emerged victorious to run his record to 22-4. Saturday’s clash back on Fight Island will just be another chance to break new ground while potentially reaching new viewers.

A typical main card for UFC would get going in prime time, with the main event not starting until around midnight. But fans will not have to fight to stay awake this weekend, as the preliminary bouts start at noon Eastern time on ESPN+, before the main card gets underway at 3 p.m. Kattar and Holloway will likely enter the octagon around 5 p.m.

Holloway (21-6) figures to be Kattar’s biggest challenge yet. The former featherweight champion dropped three of his last four fights, all by decision. The last two losses were to division champion Alexander Volkanovski, the most recent a controversial split decision last July that many believed he won.

“It’s a good checkpoint for me and my team, another big-moment opportunity, another main event against arguably one of the best fighters to ever be in the featherweight division,” said Kattar.

Both fighters are 5 feet 11 inches, but Kattar will enjoy a 3-inch reach advantage. They have similar fighting styles and are considered two of the best strikers in the division. Rather than taking the fight to the mat, both prefer to stay on their feet and slug it out. In other words, this has the potential to be the perfect matchup to introduce a new audience to the sport.

“It’s got like a pay-per-view buzz to it,” said Tyson Chartier, Kattar’s trainer with the New England Cartel. “I know the UFC is excited about it. The broadcast team is excited about it because they understand the metrics, and how many eyes will be on it.”

The winner would seem to have the inside track for a shot at Volkanovski for the title, but Kattar remains focused on Saturday’s fight.

“I always envision myself getting my hand raised; I don’t care how it gets done,” said Kattar. “I know Max is a tough fighter, but I know that I belong in this moment. It’s mine for the taking.”

Follow Andrew Mahoney on Twitter @GlobeMahoney.