Giga Chikadze has his next assignment set. On December 13, “Ninja” takes on Kevin Vallejos in what will be the UFC’s final card of the ESPN era before it transitions to Paramount.
Unless things go well for him, it may also be Chikadze’s final fight in the Octagon…
A Promising Start, Then A Stunning Halt
It was in 2019 when Chikadze first entered the Octagon. While he was an exciting prospect, having finished all his wins, he did not exactly impress in his first four fights, going the distance.
Still, Chikadze was winning. Then, in his fifth fight, he finally got a finish – a bonus-winning TKO against Jamey Simmons. His next outing would prove to be his breakout, as he destroyed veteran Cub Swanson just over a minute into the first round. Yet, he was just getting started.
Chikadze then drew Edson Barboza in a main-event matchup. Once again, it was a veteran-vs.-prospect matchup, and he delivered yet again, getting the TKO in the third. That landed him a prime opportunity against Calvin Kattar.
At the time, Kattar was coming off being routed by Max Holloway. The consensus was that Chikadze would end his relevance as a contender.
Come fight day, however, the tables were turned. Kattar did to Chikadze what Holloway did to him – a five-round rout. Months after the fight, “The Boston Finisher” claimed that his opponent had overlooked him in favor of dreaming of Holloway.
That was certainly not a good look for Chikadze, but what happened after that has only made things worse.
A Fall From Grace – Can It Be Stopped?
After rebounding against Alex Caceres, Chikadze has lost two straight. In his last fight, he missed weight against David Onama, then dropped a decision.
That is already not a good look, and then there is Chikadze’s next opponent. Vallejos, who took two tries in Dana White’s Contender Series to enter the UFC, is only in his 20s yet is already promising after two fights. Executives would love nothing more than a non-Brazilian star from South America, and they may be hoping that he becomes that.
Chikadze will hope to avoid becoming a footnote to that, but to do so, he must tap back into what made him great during his five-win streak.
End Of My Giga Chikadze Rant
Like most divisions, featherweight is always in flux. New contenders come, the old guard is put out to pasture, and the cycle repeats itself.
Once upon a time, Chikadze was a part of that new wave. He looked like he could be a keeper, but a career-changing beatdown sent him off the path of glory. Now, he is just another name fighting to live another day, and he is running out of time to save his career…
