Local talent taking the stage at "Massacre in the Meadow"

Calvin "The Boston Finisher" Kattar, the reigning NCAB champion in mixed martial arts and one of the top ranked professional fighters in the Northeast, will return to the cage for the co-main event when Combat Zone MMA 33 moves to the Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion as part of the Laconia Bike Week events. The "Massacre in the Meadow" will be held June 19.
Kattar (9-2-0), who hails from Methuen, Mass., and is one of the most popular fighters in the region, takes on Chris Connor (5-2-0) from Winchester, Va., in the highly anticipated bout in the 155-pound class. Connor's record is deceiving because while he has had just seven professional matches, he won 10 of 13 amateur fights before turning pro.
Local fight fans are well acquainted with the charismatic Kattar, who is enormously tough, talented, and strong in the cage. But they might think they're seeing double when Connor is introduced by the ringmaster. That's because Chris Connor is the twin brother of Robert Connor, who lost for the first time in his pro career when defeated by Derry's Tom Moreau by unanimous decision in the main event of Combat Zone 32 at Rockingham Park this past March.
In the co-main event also for 155 pounders, up-and-coming fighter Luiz Rodriguez (2-0-0) of Somerville, Mass., will face an opponent to be named as the complete card of 15 fights takes shape in the final weeks.
In addition to Kattar, there will be plenty of star power in the cage. UFC veteran Josh "Heavy" Hendricks (15-6-0) from Ohio will match up against Carlos Lovato (2-0-0) of Haverhill, Mass., in a test of the heavyweights. Lovato, who trains at the Guy Chase Academy of MMA in Greenland, is another with more experience than his record shows. He is undefeated in Muay Thai and as both an amateur and pro boxer, so he is highly skilled in the various mixed martial arts necessary to score submissions.
Another fight that is sure to garner a great deal of interest is the one in the 185-pound class between Will "The Brown Bomber" Santiago of Lawrence, Mass., and Lowell Zangri of Manchester. Both of the young fighters are undefeated at 2-0-0 and match up well in their abilities.
Other combatants who figure to draw attention include RJ LeTendre (1-0-0), who is a police officer in his hometown of Rollinsford, Jared Dumais (2-1-0) of Derry, and Taylor Trahan (4-3-0) of Lunenburg, Vt., who has redeemed himself from a slow start in the cage by winning his last four fights decisively.
Tickets are available through www.czmma.com or through www.meadowbrook.net and range from $120 to $25, plus a service charge. For more information about the event or any of the fighters, visit www.czmma.com.