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UFC will move to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in a bid to involve international fighters and help them fight and make a living. However, US fighters too can use the opportunity to further their spots in the rankings. All cards on Fight Island are eagerly anticipated amongst fans and now, it seems as though UFC Fight Night 172 is all set to see a huge Featherweight clash. 

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Huge Featherweight Clash set to headline UFC Fight Night 172

As per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the 2nd UFC event at the Octagon on the beach will see 6th ranked Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige make quick returns to the cage to fight on Fight Island at Abu Dhabi. 

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Kattar secured a brutal TKO win at UFC 249 after beating Jeremy Stephens with a vicious blow in round 2. ‘The Boston Finisher’s last 4 wins have come via stoppages. Now, he will be looking to make it 5 stoppage wins in his last 7 fights. He has beaten Shane Burgos via TKO (UFC 220) and Chris Fishgold (Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith) also via TKO. In addition to this, ‘The Boston Finisher has a KO win over Ricardo Lamas (UFC 238). 

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These aren’t consecutive wins as he has fallen to Renato Moicano (UFC 223) and Zabit Magomedsharipov (Fight Night: Magomedsharipov vs. Kattar) in two of his last 6 outings. Worryingly for ‘The Boston Finisher’ both these fights went the distance. 

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“I Beat Him on Two Weeks’ Notice”- Dan Ige Calls Out Edson Barboza For a Rematch

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In Dan Ige, he faces a fighter who has gone the distance 4 times in his ongoing 6 fight win streak. The 11th ranked Featherweight contender last suffered defeat to Julio Arce (UFC 220) in January 2018. He has gone on to win via TKO against Mike Santiago (UFC 225) and via submission against Danny Henry (Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal). Also, he has gone the distance against Jordan Griffin, Kevin Aguilar, Mirsad Bektic, and Edson Barboza.

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‘Dynamite’ has more decision wins than KO wins. However, he is one who has a knack for submissions securing 5 of his 14 wins in that manner. 

What do you make of this fight? Who are you backing to claim the win on July 15?

Watch: Crazy Elbow Knockout as Calvin Kattar Knocks out Jeremy Stephens at UFC 249

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Reubyn Coutinho

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Reubyn Coutinho is the Head of Fact-Checking Initiatives and Content Quality Lead at EssentiallySports, where he oversees editorial quality across multiple sports verticals. A Communication graduate, he’s spent over five years shaping the site’s evolution from a niche sports blog into an all-in-one news platform, mentoring more than 110 journalists, introducing data-driven article improvements, and developing editorial guidelines for global audiences. Across his career at ES, Reubyn has worked as a writer, editor, and senior editor, covering everything from UFC, WWE, and boxing to F1, NFL, NBA, and tennis. His bylines include exclusive interviews with former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and Miesha Tate, as well as combat sports stars Marcus Almeida and Sage Northcutt. Known for his meticulous eye, he regularly resolves headline debates, revisits trending pieces using live analytics, and sets the standard for high-quality sports reporting. Outside of sports media, Reubyn is an active film critic, contributing reviews and festival coverage to Netflix Junkie, where he’s covered events such as MAMI, Venice, and NYAFF. Whether he’s breaking down a championship fight or a Hitchcock classic, his work comes with deep research with a pure love for sport.

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