In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 25, we are going to see a fun showdown in the featherweight division. Top fifteen contenders battle it out as the veteran Cub Swanson (27-11) takes on Giga Chikadze (12-2).
Cub Swanson has been fighting under the Zuffa banner since 2007. Back in 2007, Swanson made his debut with the WEC and he’s been fighting the best in the world since. If you think of a top guy in the lighter divisions, Swanson’s probably fought him.
From Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, Frankie Edgar, Charles Oliveira, and I can go on and on. A couple of years ago, it looked like Swanson was nearing the end when he found himself on a four-fight losing streak in the UFC.
Granted, all four of those losses were to extremely talented guys. With his back against the ropes, Swanson took on Kron Gracie. He won that fight by decision and then he knocked out Daniel Pineda at UFC 256 showing that he’s not done yet.
Standing across from Swanson tomorrow night is Giga Chikadze. “The Ninja” enters the contest tomorrow night riding a seven-fight win streak. The striking specialist made his octagon debut back in late 2019.
Since that initial UFC debut, Chikadze has gone a perfect 5-0 inside the octagon. Tomorrow night is the biggest fight of his early UFC career and a victory would be massive for him moving forward.
UFC Vegas 25 Prediction
When it comes to the UFC Vegas 25 co-main event, I think a big factor is going to be the striking range and the grappling of Cub Swanson. When it comes to pure boxing, Cub Swanson is extremely hard to beat in the lower weight classes.
However, he’s going to be at an overall striking disadvantage tomorrow night against Chikadze. For Swanson to be successful on the feet, he’s got to keep the fight in close quarters. One big key for Swanson is going to be takedowns tomorrow night.
In my opinion, he’s going to have to get this fight to the ground or he’s going to have to force a lot of clinches. I don’t like his chances if the entire fight he’s striking at distance with a guy like Chikadze.
As you can imagine, the key for Chikadze is keeping the fight at range. Use his fluid striking and constantly circle while never letting Swanson get a beat on him. While I expect Swanson to make this a tough fight, I just like Giga Chikadze in this matchup.
Prediction: Giga Chikadze by Unanimous Decision