Tag: giga chikadze

UFC Vegas 46 Results: Kattar vs. Chikadze

UFC Vegas 46 ResultsLowKick MMA will be bringing you UFC Vegas 46: Kattar vs. Chikadze results throughout the night (Sat. January 15. 2022) live from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. Taking main event honors in the first UFC event of the year: a high-stakes featherweight showdown between the #5 ranked contender, Calvin Kattar, and the #8 rated challenger, […]

UFC Vegas 46 Results

LowKick MMA will be bringing you UFC Vegas 46: Kattar vs. Chikadze results throughout the night (Sat. January 15. 2022) live from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Taking main event honors in the first UFC event of the year: a high-stakes featherweight showdown between the #5 ranked contender, Calvin Kattar, and the #8 rated challenger, Giga Chikadze.

Making his first Octagon appearance in a year, Kattar most recently headlined UFC on ABC 1 back in January of last year against former undisputed featherweight champion, Max Holloway.

Taking main event status at the ‘Fight Island’ event, Kattar suffered a hugely one-sided, damaging unanimous decision loss to the Hawaii native — snapping a two-fight winning run.

Turning in an impressive 2020, the Massachusetts native stopped featherweight staple, Jeremy Stephens with a second round knockout, before defeating Dan Ige in his first main event bout under the promotion’s banner in a July UFC Fight Island 1 pairing.

For Tibilisi striking standout, Chikadze, he also prevailed with an impressive victory in his first main event bout back in August at UFC Vegas 35, handing Muay Thai ace, Edson Barboza a stunning third round knockout.

7-0 since debuting in the UFC back in September 2019, the Georgian also holds promotional wins over Cub Swanson, Omar Morales, and Brandon Davis to name a few.

UFC Vegas 46 Results: Kattar vs. Chikadze

UFC Vegas 46 Main Card: (ESPN/ESPN+ 7 p.m. ET)

Featherweight: Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze

Heavyweight: Jake Collier vs. Chase Sherman

Flyweight: Brandon Royvel vs. Rogerio Bontorin

Flyweight: Katlyn Chookagian vs. Jennifer Maia

Lightweight: Dakota Bush vs. Viacheslav Borshchev

Featherweight: Bill Algeo vs. Joanderson Brito

UFC Vegas 46 Preliminary Card: (ESPN+ 5 p.m. ET)

Middleweight: Jamie Pickett vs. Joseph Holmes

Welterweight: Court McGee vs. Ramiz Brahimaj

Featherweight: Brian Kelleher vs. Kevin Croom

Lightweight: Charles Rosa vs. T.J. Brown

UFC Vegas 46: Kattar vs. Chikadze Weigh-In Results & Preview

The weigh-in results for UFC Vegas 46 are in, and every fighter made weight, clearing the way for the first UFC card of 2022!

Saturday, January 15, 2022, UFC Vegas 46 will take place inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The weigh-in results ha…

Calvin Kattar, Giga Chikadze

The weigh-in results for UFC Vegas 46 are in, and every fighter made weight, clearing the way for the first UFC card of 2022!

Saturday, January 15, 2022, UFC Vegas 46 will take place inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The weigh-in results have all wrapped up and we’ll have those results to you shortly. But first, here’s a glimpse at the main event in store for fight fans tomorrow night.

Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze Preview

Official poster for UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Chikadze : r/MMA

Calvin Kattar will once again be one of the two lead-off men to kick off the year for the UFC. Last year at UFC on ABC 1, Kattar faced Max Holloway and lost via unanimous decision. Despite the amount of punishment he took in the fight, Kattar says he would love to have a round 6 against “Blessed,” who Kattar believes to be the uncrowned champion of the featherweight division. But before then, he’ll have to deal with a “Ninja” by the name of Giga Chikadze.

Holloway was scheduled to have the opportunity to become re-crowned in a trilogy fight against Alexander Volkanovski, but he had to withdraw from the bout due to injury. Many names volunteered to replace Holloway, perhaps none louder than Chikadze, but Kattar did not join the list because he is eager to earn such opportunities by getting back in the win column following his one-sided loss to Holloway last year.

As for Chikadze, he envisions a knockout of Kattar tomorrow night and thus becoming the official #1 contender that way instead. A recent conversation with UFC President Dana White has given Chikadze all the extra motivation he needs heading into tomorrow’s main event, with the Georgian convinced that a win over Kattar could see him challenge Volkanovski in a bout he believes to be the easiest out of everyone in the top 10.

Calvin Kattar is ranked #5 in the featherweight division and has a professional record of 22-5. He is currently 0-2 in UFC main events, losing to Zabit Magomedsharipov via unanimous decision in 2019. However, both main events against Holloway and Magomedsharipov won Fight of the Night.

Giga Chikadze is currently ranked #8 at featherweight and is 14-2 as an MMA pro. He has won nine consecutive fights, and this will be his second consecutive main event. The last main event was his TKO victory over Edson Barboza last August in what earned him Performance of the Night.

You can catch the final face-off between tomorrow’s headliners below.

UFC Vegas 46: Kattar vs. Chikadze Weigh-In Results

UFC Vegas 46 kicks off exclusively on ESPN+ at 5PM ET, 2PM PT. The main card will be simulcast on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ starting at 7PM ET, 4PM PT.

You can view the entire weigh-in results and lineup below, courtesy of UFC.com.

UFC Vegas 46 MAIN CARD (7:00 PM ET ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+)

Main Event – Featherweight Bout: Calvin Kattar (146) vs Giga Chikadze (146)

Co-Main Event – Heavyweight Bout: Jake Collier (264.5) vs Chase Sherman (250)

Flyweight Bout: Brandon Rovyal (125.5) vs Rogerio Bontorin (125.5)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Katlyn Chookagian (126) vs Jennifer Maia (126)

Lightweight Bout: Dakota Bush (155.5) vs Viacheslav Borschev (155)

Featherweight Bout: Bill Algeo (145) vs Joanderson Brito (145.5)

UFC Vegas 46 PRELIMINARY CARD (5:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

Middleweight Bout: Jamie Pickett (184.5) vs Joseph Holmes (185.5)

Welterweight Bout: Court McGee (170) vs Ramiz Brahimaj (170.5)

Featherweight Bout: Brian Kelleher (145) vs Kevin Croom (144.5)

Lightweight Bout: TJ Brown (155) vs Charles Rosa (156)

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 46: Kattar vs. Chikadze Weigh-In Results & Preview at MMA News.

Chikadze Ready To Go From ‘People’s Champ’ To Official #1 Contender

UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze isn’t expecting anything less than a title shot if he gets an impressive win over Calvin Kattar.

Chikadze has surged to the top of the featherweight division with seven-straight wins since signing with the …

Giga Chikadze

UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze isn’t expecting anything less than a title shot if he gets an impressive win over Calvin Kattar.

Chikadze has surged to the top of the featherweight division with seven-straight wins since signing with the UFC in 2019. He most recently earned arguably the most impressive win of his career over former lightweight standout Edson Barboza at UFC Vegas 35.

Following each of his past two wins, Chikadze has called out some of the best fighters in the UFC, including former featherweight king Max Holloway. While he didn’t end up getting a fight with Holloway next, he faces a tough test against another solid contender in Kattar tomorrow night.

During an interview with MMA Junkie, Chikadze made his intentions perfectly clear for his upcoming fight, and where it could put him in the featherweight title picture.

“They’ve been talking about this, and I get it, but this fight already happened twice,” Chikadze said. “So I could pass this and just ask for a title (shot), but I want to fight someone from the top five, and Calvin Kattar’s name came. I think that was the only guy who wasn’t busy, and ‘Zombie’ (Chan Sung Jung) was injured, so I picked Kattar, and now we have him for January.”

“I’ve been saying this for a long time, and people didn’t believe it before,” Chikadze continued. “Now finally they’re starting to believe it. I’m the people’s champ. I can beat anyone in the featherweight division in the world, and I feel it’s time, and it’s time to make it all official.”

Chikadze and Kattar will go to battle in the main event of UFC Vegas 46 in Las Vegas, NV. The winner of the bout could also potentially serve as the backup fighter to Volkanovski/Zombie, which goes down at UFC 273 in April.

Chikadze’s kickboxing has proven to be one of the most dangerous skillsets in the 145-pound division. If he’s able to keep up his positive momentum, he could be holding the title sooner rather than later.

Do you think Giga Chikadze is a future UFC featherweight champion?

Continue Reading Chikadze Ready To Go From ‘People’s Champ’ To Official #1 Contender at MMA News.

Giga Chikadze Targets Submission Wins Soon, Wants To KO Kattar First

UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze is looking to prove that he’s not just an elite striker but also a well-rounded mixed martial artist.

Chikadze faces arguably the toughest test of his UFC career against Calvin Kattar at UFC Vegas 46. While…

Giga Chikadze

UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze is looking to prove that he’s not just an elite striker but also a well-rounded mixed martial artist.

Chikadze faces arguably the toughest test of his UFC career against Calvin Kattar at UFC Vegas 46. While Kattar is coming off of a tough loss to Max Holloway last year, he’s still regarded as one of the toughest brawlers in the featherweight division.

Chikadze knocked out the always-dangerous Edson Barboza in his last Octagon appearance but also showcased an improved grappling skillset in the win. He nearly had Barboza in trouble on the ground before transitioning back to his striking base.

During his UFC Vegas 46 pre-fight media scrum, Chikadze teased his game plan for his matchup with Kattar.

“I feel like he’s going to mix it up with a bit of the wrestling,” Chikadze said. “I think that’s going to be his plan because he is from a wrestling background. Then he has some nice boxing techniques. Either he’s going to box with me, or he’s gonna wrestle with me.

“Honestly, I really want to show the people how great my ground game became. I want to submit people eventually, very soon, and start submitting people. But because Calvin Kattar has never been knocked out, it gives me a little bit more motivation to finish him with striking.”

Chikadze later explained why he moved away from his grappling in his last victory over Barboza.

“Last time I really had the chance to finish Edson with submission, but like I said, I had to prove that I’m the best striker and this was the reason why I let it go. This time? I said that I’m the best boxer in the UFC too, so probably I’m gonna still go more to the strikes. But if I get a chance like I did with Edson, this time I’m not going to let it go.”

Chikadze could be one win away from a featherweight title shot after going back-and-forth on social media with Alexander Volkanovski. If he’s able to continue to improve his overall game, he could be an unstoppable force at 145 pounds for years to come.

What is your prediction for Giga Chikadze vs. Calvin Kattar?

Continue Reading Giga Chikadze Targets Submission Wins Soon, Wants To KO Kattar First at MMA News.

Giga Chikadze: Alexander Volkanovski Is The Easiest Fight In The Top 10

UFC featherweight Giga Chikadze believes Alexander Volkanovski would be an easier opponent for him than any other contender in the division’s top 10.

When Max Holloway withdrew from his scheduled trilogy clash with the reigning 145-pound king at UF…

Alexander Volkanovski, Giga Chikadze

UFC featherweight Giga Chikadze believes Alexander Volkanovski would be an easier opponent for him than any other contender in the division’s top 10.

When Max Holloway withdrew from his scheduled trilogy clash with the reigning 145-pound king at UFC 272, Chikadze was one of the first to throw his name into the hat as the replacement. That’s despite the fact he has top-five contender Calvin Kattar lined up for what is his biggest UFC fight to date this weekend.

After dispatching Edson Barboza with ease last August, “Ninja” has his chance to rise closer to contention in the UFC Vegas 46 headliner on Saturday night. But Chikadze, along with many in the MMA community, believes a victory should bring more than a rank rise. They think it should take the Georgian all the way to Volkanovski.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYjjPSutSif/

Chikadze Isn’t Impressed By Volkanovski

Like the other fighters willing to challenge the Australian, including Yair Rodríguez and former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo, Chikadze has seemingly been snubbed in favor of #4-ranked featherweight “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. That’s despite the fact Chikadze boasts a seven-fight UFC win streak and has the chance to add the established name of Kattar to his record on January 15.

After the champ made his desire to face fan-favorite brawler Korean Zombie known, the UFC has seemingly moved his next defense back to UFC 273 and added Jung to the contest, per Ariel Helwani.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin, Chikadze reacted to Zombie becoming the frontrunner for the replacement opportunity. According to the in-form Georgian, Volkanovski is avoiding him because he knows “Ninja” is the biggest threat to his reign.

In contrast, Chikadze sees Volkanovski as the easiest opponent for him inside the featherweight top 10.

“100% (Zombie fight) is easier. It’s (an) easier task for them, for Volkanovski,” said Chikadze. “I’ve been fighting these type of guys all my life and making my life with that. He knows that I’m, for him, the hardest and strongest fight. That’s why he’s trying to avoid me. I understand he wants to stay safe and make money and this, but I’m here to become the champion.

“Honestly, for me, I think that’s the easiest fight in the top 10, bro. This guy cannot even reach me. When we stand together, what’s he gonna do? Some guys have a good submission (game), some guys have a good punch or a good technique, what does he have against me? Nothing.”

Unfortunately for Chikadze and his fans, it appears the UFC has moved forward with plans for Volkanovski vs. Korean Zombie. Nevertheless, if the Tbilisi native puts in an impressive performance this weekend and perhaps becomes the first man to finish Kattar in the UFC, he’ll be a hard man to deny when it comes to the next shot at gold.

Do you think Giga Chikadze deserves a title shot over The Korean Zombie?

Continue Reading Giga Chikadze: Alexander Volkanovski Is The Easiest Fight In The Top 10 at MMA News.

Giga Chikadze Says He’s Lost Respect For Volkanovski For “Cheap Move”

UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze is no longer a fan of Alexander Volkanovski after recent tensions between the two top 145 pounders.

Chikadze had called for the next title shot against Volkanovski after the champion’s original UFC 272 oppo…

Giga Chikadze, Alexander Volkanovski

UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze is no longer a fan of Alexander Volkanovski after recent tensions between the two top 145 pounders.

Chikadze had called for the next title shot against Volkanovski after the champion’s original UFC 272 opponent, Max Holloway, pulled out with an injury. Volkanovski and the UFC opted to go with Chan Sung Jung, otherwise known as ‘The Korean Zombie’, as a replacement.

Chikadze volunteered to make a quick turnaround from his upcoming fight to fill in against Volkanovski, but the UFC had other plans.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Chikadze was asked about whether or not he had lost respect for Volkanovski.

“Absolutely, yeah,” Chikadze said. “Before that, I kind of messaged him after his last fight, I congratulated him,” said Chikadze. “Brother, this (Volkanovski’s response to me on Twitter) is a cheap move for me to see. He messages me, he tweeted that I’m fighting a top five or something, and like, I lost a lot of respect for him. And plus, bro, I’m not here for respect and all this stuff. No friends for me. These guys, I’m here to take over everybody, smash, you know, I don’t need extra friends here. I feel like these people are trying to take my dreams, so I’m gonna fight them.”

Giga Chikadze Could Be On The Verge Of A Bout With Volkanovski

Chikadze will face Calvin Kattar in a second straight main event at UFC Vegas 46 this weekend. In his last fight, he put on a dominant performance over Edson Barboza and ended up earning TKO victory.

Chikadze has long been considered by many to be the dark horse of the featherweight division. After losing out on a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, he’s won nine fights in a row over the likes of Cub Swanson, Omar Morales, and Barboza. For these reasons, Dana White allegedly told Chikadze that he’s close to earning the next shot. Another impressive win over Kattar is the first step to making that happen.

How do you think a Giga Chikadze vs. Alexander Volkanovski fight would play out?

Continue Reading Giga Chikadze Says He’s Lost Respect For Volkanovski For “Cheap Move” at MMA News.