Calvin Kattar defeats Dan Ige by decision at UFC on ESPN 13

Rising featherweight contender Calvin Kattar couldn’t find a way to knock out Las Vegan Dan Ige in the main event of UFC on ESPN 13 on Thursday morning in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

He settled for a unanimous decision, as he won for the fourth time in his past five fights.

Ige gave Kattar, a noted striker who had recorded knockouts in his past three wins, fits early.

But Kattar’s boxing proved to be too much as the fight wore on, and he was raining punches on the mat as the final bell sounded.

Veteran flyweight Tim Elliott, a part-time Las Vegas resident, ended a three-fight losing streak by taking a unanimous decision over Ryan Benoit in a wild back-and-forth bout.

Elliott and Benoit traded shots in the pocket and scrambled for position on the mat throughout the 15 minutes.

“I tend to fight to the level of my opponent,” Elliott said. “I knew he was going to be good, and it brought out the best in me. It’s not just me. It takes two to tango. I’m lucky enough to get these opponents who bring out the best in me.”

Benoit, who lost 29-28 on all three cards, clearly disagreed with the verdict. He posted that he won on Twitter less than 10 minutes after the bout concluded.

Also, former bantamweight title challenger Jimmie Rivera snapped a two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision over Cody Stamann.

The bout was contested at featherweight due to both fighters taking the fight on short notice.

Rivera had dropped three of his past four fights, but all three losses came against top contenders at 135 pounds, including new champion Petr Yan.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.