UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Emmett MMA Odds and Picks

The UFC’s return to Texas will see a pair of venomous strikers square off, as Josh Emmett and Calvin Kattar are set to meet in the bill’s featherweight headliner. Check out our Kattar-Emmett picks ahead of this weekend’s main event.

With UFC featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski soon to complete his trilogy with Max Holloway this summer, Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett find themselves in an ideal position to bring some order to the divisional title picture on Saturday. In a weight class that doesn't want for talent, each of these featherweight bruisers can announce himself as Volkanovski's next challenger with a statement victory in the promotion's impending return to Texas.

Kattar was last seen rebounding from a five-round trouncing opposite Holloway with a unanimous verdict over Giga Chikadze in January, while Emmett most recently brought his UFC featherweight record to 6-1 and extended his win streak to four with his own decision win over Dan Ige last December.

In what promises to be a striker's ball, will Kattar's jab and crisp boxing be enough, or will Emmett end the weekend's headliner with another astounding knockout?

Here are my picks and predictions for Saturday's pivotal featherweight matchup between Kattar and Emmett (odds via Caesars Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Kattar vs. Emmett Fight Info

Date/Time: Saturday, June 18, 7 p.m. ET (main card)TV: ESPN, ESPN+Location: Moody Center, Austin, TX

Kattar vs. Emmett Odds Analysis

Emmett may be the one with the longer win streak, but it's Kattar who heads south as the betting favorite, and a fairly comfortable one at that. DraftKings has the Massachusetts native at -235 as of Wednesday night, while FanDuel is offering a Kattar win at a surprising -260.

Four of Kattar's seven UFC wins have come by way of KO/TKO, so a bet on a fifth would be far from foolish, although Emmett has only fallen to strikes once in 19 pro fights. Speaking of the betting underdog, the 37-year-old Emmett sits at +190 with both Caesars and DraftKings and an even more compelling +196 with FanDuel. If you're banking on Emmett notching his fourth UFC knockout, FanDuel is offering the greatest potential return at +470.

Calvin Kattar Betting Profile

Kattar joined the UFC nearly five years ago and has jabbed and one-twoed his way to a solid promotional record of 7-3. While he was soundly outboxed by Holloway last year, Kattar's jab and straight punching are among the cleanest in the division. His crisp striking has earned him memorable knockouts of dangerous bruisers Shane Burgos and Jeremy Stephens, as well as veterans Ricardo Lamas and Chris Fishgold. The 34-year-old's hands served him well yet again in his January romp over a career kickboxer in Chikadze, and he'll have to lean heavily on his jab yet again opposite a granite-fisted Emmett come Saturday night.

Josh Emmett Betting Profile

Emmett didn't look like much in his first few UFC appearances at 155 pounds, but a 2017 change in weight class drastically changed all that, as he's since won all but one of his seven promotional contests. The veteran has also scored a trio of thunderous knockouts at 145 pounds, starching both Lamas and Michael Johnson and swiftly dispatching once-lauded prospect Mirsad Bektic. A durable banger who can leave many mortals counting the lights with a single shot, Emmett has never been one to push a pace or throw volume, and he'll have to work his way past his foe's busy jab and earn his respect early if he's to make it five in a row on fight night.

Kattar vs. Emmett Picks

Kattar to win (-230 via Caesars) ???Kattar on points (+155 via FanDuel) ???

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Kattar vs. Emmett Predictions

Kattar to win (-230)

It's hard to avoid picking Kattar here, given that he's the cleaner technician and the only one of this pair to have gone five rounds. While Emmett boasts the edge in raw stopping power, his pursuit of a one-hitter quitter can sometimes hurt his shot selection and output, and I expect Kattar to pop his stunning jab early and often to keep Emmett honest. As those familiar with the sweet science will tell you, the jab is a fighter's range-finder, and as Saturday's headliner wears on, look for Kattar to open up on Emmett, find a home for the straight right, and remain the busier fighter to earn his second straight win.

Kattar on points (+155)

Emmett has only succumbed to strikes once, and Kattar has yet to suffer such a fate, hence my reluctance to call a knockout for either man. Kattar is dangerous, but he's not one for brawling, and I expect him to be his usual methodical self and show respect for Emmett’s granite mitts early. 'The Boston Finisher" has gone the full five in three straight fights, and - knowing Emmett hasn't - I expect him to quickly pull ahead with the jab and the one-two before dragging Emmett into the later rounds and pushing the pace throughout to secure a verdict on the scorecards.

Where to Bet on Kattar-Emmett Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel SportsbookCaesars SportsbookDraftKings SportsbookPointsBetBetMGM

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Kattar-Emmett picks made on 6/15/2022 at 8:31 a.m. ET.