Following his win over Edson Barboza this past weekend, Giga Chikadze firmly established himself as a front runner in the UFC’s featherweight division. The fight against Barboza was easily his toughest test to date in the UFC, and ‘Ninja’ made sure to end the night with a statement win. The win over Barboza was his third-straight TKO win in the promotion.
In a recent interview, Chikadze shared his thoughts on the featherweight division and where he feels he stacks up. He said, “I have been feeling very well in his division. I have big advantage with my reach, my height, my style is exactly how I fight. Standing at the far distance and using my range very well.”
📽️ "I feel like I'm the king of the division"@giga_chikadze explains why he feels like his skills make him the 'unofficial' best fighter at featherweight with @jimmysmithmma on Unlocking the Cage👊
⏬FULL INTERVIEW⏬https://t.co/yxowxECFDx pic.twitter.com/4fYTzuNZE2
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) September 2, 2021
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‘Ninja’ continued, “And I feel like I am the king of the division. Ever there is such great fighters like Max Holloway, Champ, Zombie, and all those guys. I definitely feel I am the best in the division…. But check it out man, I am not even two years in the UFC and I have seven wins in a row.”
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What is next for Giga Chikadze?
Chikadze’s UFC career did not get off to a good start. He was released following a debut loss on Dana White’s Contender Series. ‘Ninja’ secured two wins in another promotion before the UFC signed once again him. This time around, Chikadze made sure to make the most of the opportunity.
‘Ninja’ is currently on a seven-fight win streak that includes wins over the likes of Cub Swanson, Irwin Rivera, and most recently, Edson Barboza. Following the win, Chikadze called out Holloway for a fight. While that would have been an epic matchup, ‘Blessed’ is currently scheduled to face Yair Rodriguez.
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‘Ninja’ is currently ranked 8th in the UFC’s 145-pound division. Out of all the names ranked above him, one particular fighter could be an excellent stylistic matchup for Chikadze.
Calvin Kattar is not booked for a fight at the moment. He is also an elite striker and is like Chikadze in his height and reach. ‘The Boston Finisher’ Kattar, who has been out of action since his fight against Holloway, will be eager to get back into the ring sooner rather than later.