UFC 300 Odds, Prediction: Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling

Sterling suffered a second-round TKO loss to Sean O’Malley, ending a nine-fight win streak and will be fighting at 145 pounds for the first time since claiming a first-round knockout victory over Evan Chmielski almost 13 years ago at CFFC 10: Black Eye. The No. 8 contender in the UFC featherweight division, Kattar has been idle since suffering a knee injury while losing to Arnold Allen at UFC Vegas 63 in October 2022. The 36-year-old American has now lost three of four fights since July 2020, but earned Fight of the Night bonuses on three occasions over that stretch.

Kattar’s inactivity has not helped him on the UFC 300 odds, where he lags as a +145 underdog. Sterling leads the way as a -175 favourite and the odds of this fight going the distance are pegged at a short -200.

Calvin Kattar UFC 300 Odds

Saturday night will serve as a big test for Calvin Kattar, who was forced to undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered in his loss to Arnold Allen 18 months ago. But as a headliner in each of his past five fights, four of which went a full five rounds, Kattar has demonstrated his durability when matched up against top-flight opponents. Prior to Allen, Kattar went the distance against Max Holloway, Giga Chikadze, and Josh Emmett, with his lone win over that stretch coming against Chikadze. While he was largely outclassed by Holloway, Kattar deserved a better fate in his split decision loss to Emmett, whom he outstruck by a 130-107 while stuffing all four takedown attempts he faced.

Aljamain Sterling UFC 300 Odds

After getting dominated by O’Malley on his way to losing the UFC bantamweight strap, Sterling will try to bounce back against a veteran featherweight, who will not be intimidated by by a former champion. While “Funk Master” is an effective striker who averages 4.73 significant strikes landed per minute, it is his ability to change levels that makes him so dangerous. Prior to his loss to O’Malley, Sterling recorded 12 total takedowns over his four previous fights and has seen eight of his 23 career victories come by submission. However, Sterling has also been fortunate to see two of his past four fights go his way thanks to split decisions from the judges including a narrow victory at UFC 288 over Henry Cejudo.

UFC 300 Prediction: Kattar vs. Sterling

Kattar will be a worthy opponent for Sterling in his UFC featherweight debut. Despite his long layoff, Kattar brings a wealth of experience and durability to this fight, as well as an impressive 91 per cent takedown defence that should limit Sterling’s opportunities to bring the action to the mat. The longer these fighters go toe-to-toe, the more it will benefit Kattar, who is not afraid to absorb a lot of punishment and keep coming. This fight presents a good opportunity for UFC betting fans looking to back an underdog.

Prediction: Kattar by decision (+275)