Bubble Busters: The Featherweights

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 249 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Advertisement

Bubble Busters is a limited series examining each division for on-the-bubble MMA contenders who operate just outside of Top 10 contention and outlining their potential paths to ranked recognition. From skills fighters could improve to possible matches for which they should campaign, we attempt to solve the riddles associated with crossing the contender threshold. Next up, the featherweights.

* * *
Sodiq Yusuff: The once-beaten Lloyd Irvin protégé used an impressive performance on Dana White’s Contender Series as a springboard to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and he has only gained additional momentum since. Yusuff, now 4-0 inside the Octagon, has remained steadfast in his plan to let matchups come to him, forgoing his chances to call out one of the primetime players at 145 pounds. The 26-year-old’s measured approach and well-rounded skills make him a threat to virtually anyone in the division. Despite the fact that Yusuff only has 12 pro bouts under his belt, he carries himself like a seasoned veteran, unmoved by the bright lights of the big stage. A showdown with Shane Burgos would serve as a challenging next step for “Super Sodiq.” Burgos, another promising talent, extended his winning streak to three fights at UFC 244, where the Team Tiger Schulmann standout cut down Makwan Amirkhani with third-round punches on Nov. 2.

Dan Ige: The Xtreme Couture representative did not make an immediate splash in the UFC after his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series. In fact, Ige’s UFC debut resulted in a unanimous decision loss to Julio Arce in 2018. Since that setback, the Hawaiian has taken a calculated, businesslike approach to traversing the featherweight division. On a five-fight winning streak, Ige finds himself headed toward the most significant opportunity of his career—a confrontation with Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night 172 on May 16. A victory over someone with name recognition as strong as Barboza would almost certainly push the 28-year-old to another level of competition at 145 pounds. “Dynamite Dan” will need to rely on his boxing. Striking defense has been a Barboza weakness in the past, and Ige’s tight boxing could give the Brazilian fits, especially early in the fight. It represents his best chance yet to climb into the Top 10.

Calvin Kattar: Do not be deceived by his 2-2 record across his past four appearances, as Kattar has established himself as a person of interest in the featherweight division. A competitive unanimous decision loss to Zabit Magomedsharipov in the UFC Fight Night 163 main event on Nov. 9 provided credibility with the masses and strengthened his position with the company. Next up for Kattar: a high-stakes battle with Jeremy Stephens at UFC 249 on Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida. Stephens rarely tries to grapple, which means fans will likely be treated to a striker’s delight between a skilled boxer in Kattar and one of the sport’s most devastating power punchers. Even in his defeat to Magomedsharipov, Kattar exhibited stellar cardio, effective defensive wrestling and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to bounce back from adversity. The experience figures to benefit him against the well-traveled Stephens, a 46-fight veteran who seeks his first win in more than two years.

---

Related Coverage »

---

• Bubble Busters: The Heavyweights
• Bubble Busters: The Light Heavyweights
• Bubble Busters: The Middleweights
• Bubble Busters: The Welterweights
• Bubble Busters: The Lightweights