UFC on ESPN 13: Kattar vs Ige Odds, Schedule, Predictions

The UFC is set to continue its July schedule at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with a UFC on ESPN card featuring Dan Ige and Calvin Kattar in an important featherweight clash. 

Both men are in the bottom half of the top 10 in the 145-pound division. Picking up a win in the main event of the Wednesday night special would propel them to bigger and better things in a highly competitive division. 

Ryan Benoit and Tim Elliott will serve as the co-main event. Neither flyweight has a ton of momentum going into the evening, so a win here would be a boon for either in their attempts to remain relative. 

The most interesting fight on the whole card might be the featherweight scrap between Jimmie Rivera and Cody Stamann.

Having fought on the June 6 card in Las Vegas, Stamann will make the quick turnaround to face a fighter in Rivera who is his most challenging fight since a loss to Aljamain Sterling in September 2018. 

Main Card (ESPN, ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET)

• Calvin Kattar (-300) vs. Dan Ige (+250)
• Ryan Benoit (+115) vs. Tim Elliott (-135)
• Jimmie Rivera (-135) vs. Cody Stamann (+115)
• Molly McCann (-140) vs. Taila Santos (+120)
• Abdul Razak Alhassan (-300) vs. Mounir Lazzez (+260)

Prelims (ESPN, ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

• John Phillips (+270) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (-330)
• Lerone Murphy (+140) vs. Ricardo Ramos (-160)
• Modestas Bukauskas (-180) vs. Andreas Michailidis (+160)
• Chris Fishgold (+120) vs. Jared Gordon (-140)
• Diana Belbita (-180) vs. Liana Jojua (+160)
• Aaron Phillips (+500) vs. Jack Shore (-700)

Odds via Caesars Palace 

Kattar vs. Ige

Kattar and Ige are both on the precipice of breaking out in the featherweight division, so this is an interesting main event for a midweek card. The former comes in as a sizable favorite, but the latter is a live dog in this situation. 

Kattar has fought the better competition more consistently. He has wins over Jeremy Stephens and Ricardo Lamas, with his only recent loss coming against Zabit Magomedsharipov in a unanimous decision. The 32-year-old is a considerable counter-striker who will be the taller fighter by four inches. 

The Boston Finisher has 11 wins by knockout in his career but hasn't been finished himself. 

Ige, on the other hand, has been given increasingly difficult opponents and is just now breaking onto the scene in the division. Split-decision wins over Mirsad Bektic and Edson Barboza give him increased credibility and a six-fight winning streak into this spot. 

The 28-year-old has been active, too. This will be his third bout just seven months into 2020 after fighting only twice in 2019. He doesn't have the power of Kattar, but he's an aggressive fighter who will come forward and mix up his clinch and stand-up with takedown attempts. 

In a pure kickboxing matchup, the advantage goes to Kattar. He's the longer, more precise fighter and his counters will be a good foil to Ige's aggression. But the underdog has a path to victory. 

Kattar hasn't seen many aggressive grapplers in his recent run. Magomedsharipov was the closest and he was able to take him down while still engaging in a largely stand-up affair. 

Ige shouldn't be looking to do that. He has the ability to turn up the pressure and spring the upset if he can walk through some damage. 

Prediction: Ige via decision

Benoit vs. Elliott

In truth, there isn't a lot to get excited about in the co-main event. Both Benoit and Elliott are aging veterans. The former hasn't earned a Performance or Fight of the Night honor since 2013, while the latter has been involved in some fun fights but needs the right dance partner. 

Benoit isn't that. He's 8-0 in fights that he has won by knockout and 2-6 in all others. The 30-year-old is the rare power-puncher in the flyweight division who doesn't set a good pace. He lands just 2.8 significant strikes per minute.

That sets up Elliott with a stylistic advantage as he's a much more willing grinder whose approach to the fight will win him rounds. The central question is whether Benoit will land something of substance that ends the contest early. 

Elliott, 33, has struggled in a three-fight losing streak leading up to this bout but it hasn't been because of his chin. He's lost two of the three by submission but hasn't been knocked out since the third fight of his career in 2009. 

It's hard to pick either of these guys with confidence given what they've shown in the cage recently, but the round-winner is likely to get a decision. 

Prediction: Elliott via decision

Rivera vs. Stamann

In terms of intrigue, the featherweight fight between Stamann and Rivera should be in the co-main event slot. The two men are ranked bantamweights but will make the jump to 145 pounds. 

Given that both are comfortable at 135 pounds, the mutual move doesn't figure to weigh heavily in the breakdown. Stamann, 30, is a powerful wrestler with adequate striking to make his way through the rankings so far. He impressed in a unanimous-decision win over Brian Kelleher at UFC 250 on June 6. 

Rivera, 31, is 1-3 in his last four fights but the record doesn't tell the whole story considering his opponents. His lone win in that stretch was against Jon Dodson while he lost to Marlon Moraes, Sterling and Petr Yan. Stamann could easily go 0-4 with the same set of opponents. 

Stamann will look to take the fight to the mat while Rivera has the well-rounded striking game to hold the advantage on a minute-by-minute basis. Again, Rivera has the advantage in experience, so even though he hasn't had a recent run of success, his talent shouldn't be underrated. 

If Rivera can use his movement to keep his back off the fence and the fight in the middle of the cage, he could outpoint Stamann in a fight that's important to showcase his development. 

Prediction: Rivera via decision