Calvin Kattar responds to Giga Chikadze saying he'd beat 'The Boston Finisher' 9 out of 10 times

After losing to Calvin Kattar in the UFC's first event of 2022, Giga Chikadze took to Instagram Live to claim he would defeat Kattar nine times out of 10.

Calvin Kattar has since reacted to Chikdaze's comments. Speaking on The MMA Hour, 'The Boston Finisher' was asked by Ariel Helwani what he thought of his opponent's statement. Kattar replied with the classines and respect you'd hope to see from a professional athlete at the pinnacle of their chosen sport.

"It's different when you hear people in person in interviews but I don't take it personally man, it's whatever. I wish him a speedy recovery, bounce back. I told him all you can do now is make the next guy pay. That's exactly what I did and hopefully he responds to the loss well. It doesn't sound like it's going that way early but hopefully he just understands that... Honestly, he can understand whatever he wants. For me, it just helped me to focus on the things I can control and focus on the comeback."

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Calvin Kattar on not being considered for a shot at the featherweight title

After Max Holloway dropped out of his trilogy bout against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, a number of names were immediately raised as potential replacements.

Henry Cejudo, Josh Emmett and even Katter's recent opponent Chikadze were all mentioned. It was ultimately 'The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung who got the title shot.

However, Calvin Kattar's name was never even mentioned, despite his impressive resume. Speaking with Helwani, Kattar had the following to say on the matter:

"A lot of these guys think they can cut the line with their mouths rather than earning it with their fights. And that's not my style. I'd rather talk less about it, go out and prove it. Because that's the only thing that actually matters, man. Go out and earn your title shot. I know guys like Max, guys like Volkanovski, they want contenders. They can see through the bulls***. More than the casual other people that are chiming in. All I'm trying to do is prove that I'm the number one contender."

Check out the full interview below: