VIDEO: Brutal Kick to the Liver Stops Fight in the First Round at UFC Fight Night

In the co-main event at UFC Vegas 25, Giga Chikadze took on a veteran in Cub Swanson. The fight was an excellent litmus test for ‘Ninja’ against a fighter who has been among the elites in the featherweight division for a long time now. 

Going into the fight, Chikadze was ranked 14th in the division. After an impressive first-round finish over Swanson, he will surely find himself either in the top 10 or just outside it when the revised rankings are released on Tuesday. 

After his win tonight, in the post-fight interview, Chikadze stated he would like to face the former champion, Max Holloway, next. However, if that fight does not materialize ‘Ninja’ would like to share the octagon with Calvin Kattar for his next fight. 

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Giga Chikadze makes it two consecutive first-round finishes at UFC Vegas 25

Going into the fight, Giga firmly believed he was the better striker. He also stated that he would finish Swanson in the very first round of the fight, and he did just that tonight. The bout started off well for both fighters as they landed some good shots early on. 

However, the end came when Chikadze landed an inch-perfect kick to the liver. As soon as the kick connected, Swanson went down in agony and Chikadze walked away. Realizing that the referee had not stopped the fight, the Georgian landed a few shots while Swanson was on the ground. These strikes were just a formality to get the referee to step in and end the fight. 

With this win, Chikadze has extended his win streak to 6-0 in the UFC and 8-0 overall. In his run, the featherweight fighter has cemented himself as one of the best strikers in the division. His performance drew some plaudits on Twitter. 

Aljamain Sterling empathized with Cub Swanson stating liver kicks never felt good.

Alan Jouban had a humorous take on the situation.

Dan Ige just needed one word to describe his feelings watching that liver kick.

What did you make of Giga Chikadze’s performance tonight? Who do you want to see him fight next? Let us know in the comments below!