Giga Chikadze earned a first-round knockout win over veteran Cub Swanson at last weekend’s co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Reyes vs Prochazka. The Georgian folded Swanson with a liver kick at the opening stages of the contest. He has now put together a 6-fight winning streak at the UFC’s featherweight division.
He called his shots after the fight, challenging Max Holloway or Calvin Kattar to a fight. But ‘Ninja’ wants a quick turnaround next rather than waiting for opponents. He is willing to fight Jeremy Stephens this month. The two dates he is targeting include the UFC Fight Night event this weekend or UFC 262 on May 15.
Checked in with @giga_chikadze to see if he’s had success getting a fight yet. Team tells me they’re very interested in fighting Jeremy Stephens (@LiLHeathenMMA) either May 8 or May 15.
— John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) May 4, 2021
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MMA Junkie’s John Morgan first reported the news. Chikadze took note of that and replied, “I want main event this weekend!” Whether the featherweight contender gets his desired fight, remains to be seen.
I want main event this weekend!
— GIGA CHIKADZE (@giga_chikadze) May 4, 2021
‘Lil Heathen’ was set to fight Drakkar Klose recently in a lightweight bout. He moved up a division after his failed weight cut in his last fight against Calvin Kattar. However, his fight against Klose had to be called off after Klose was injured during the weigh-in face-off as Stephens pushed his opponent in a ferocious manner.
Chikadze has certainly made a wise move, calling out an experienced campaigner like Stephens. He jumped four places to the 10th spot in the UFC rankings after his win over Swanson this weekend.
Should the UFC book Giga Chikadze vs Jeremy Stephens?
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Stylistically, a fight between the duo will be a barn-burner. Chikadze is a technical brawler of the highest pedigree, and Stephens just likes to scrap. But his knockout prowess is well respected among his peers and fans. So, one might argue that the UFC should actually book this fight. But there are some complications.
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Despite being the hardest hitting 145 lb-er for an on the roster, it seems like ‘Lil Heathen’ has left the division due to his recent failed weight cuts. He now looks to establish a run in the lightweight division. So, whether the fight actually materializes remains to be seen.
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