This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 25, Giga Chikadze (13-2) competed in the co-main event against Cub Swanson (27-12). It was a huge opportunity for Chikadze who was looking to take that next step in his UFC career.
Chikadze stepped into the cage on Saturday night riding a seven-fight win streak. In addition, he was a perfect 5-0 inside the octagon. Having started out that well, a win over Cub Swanson would vault Chikadze in the UFC‘s featherweight division.
Immediately when the fight started, we saw why there’s a ton of hype surrounding Chikadze. He came forward with vicious kicks and his striking looked incredibly fast. You got the feeling that Cub Swanson could be in some trouble at UFC Vegas 25.
Then, just about a minute into the first round, Chikadze landed a massive body kick that crumbled Swanson. Chikadze looked hesitant to attack because he could tell that the fight was over. However, he went in for the kill.
Chikadze followed up with a few shots and the ref called a stop to the action. This win improved Chikadze to 6-0 in the UFC and he just netted the biggest win of his career.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 25?
Given his frame and his style of striking, Chikadze can be a huge problem in the UFC’s featherweight division. After the fight was over, Chikadze said that it would be a dream to fight Max Holloway, but he would settle for Calvin Kattar next if possible.
Calvin Kattar could be an option, but I think the UFC goes in a different direction. One possibility could be paring Chikadze up with Arnold Allen (17-1). Allen had competed a few weeks earlier and won a decision over the talented Sodiq Yusuff.
Like Chikadze, Allen is also unbeaten inside the octagon. Allen has gone 8-0 since making his debut in the UFC and he’s currently ranked seventh in the division. If the UFC wants to see which prospect is ready for the top five, they can pair those two up.
Another option would be the winner of the UFC 262 matchup between Shane Burgos (13-2) and Edson Barboza (21-9). Whoever wins that matchup next weekend would be another great option for Chikadze next.
I don’t know about you, but Chikadze against any of those options makes for a sensational fight. I’m a huge fan of Chikadze and I think he’s going to be a major player in the UFC’s featherweight division for years to come.