Giga Chikadze is arguably one of the most slept-on featherweight contenders, according to certain sections of the UFC fanbase. Since joining UFC in 2018, the Georgian fighter has registered two losses but his eight wins have launched him to the top 10 of the division. But have you wondered what his training background is?

The 15-3 145lbs contender, returning to action at UFC 304 against Arnold Allen, started his martial arts training back when he was just four or five years old. That helped him earn a black belt in Karate Goju Ryu. However, when Giga Chikadze transitioned to MMA, he found his home in one of the biggest gyms in Huntington Beach, California.

Where does Giga Chikadze train? Who are his teammates?

After wrapping a 38-10 kickboxing career, Giga Chikadze made his MMA transition to and joined Kings MMA. That happened in 2015, and fast forward to 2024, the Georgian has remained loyal to his team. His teammates include a few former champions like the Brazilian duo of Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua and Fabricio Werdum, and former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Guess what? Sean Strickland, former middleweight champion, trained at Kings MMA before making the move to Xtreme Couture, training under Eric Nicksick.

There are a few active competitors on the UFC roster, who are also Giga Chikadze’s teammates. The list includes Beneil Dariush, Marvin Vettori, and Ariane Lipski.  Meanwhile, Kings MMA has earned a lot of attention, and people might point their fighters at the fighters for that. But they’d be wrong because that establishment offers training from some pretty well-known and respected coaches in combat sports.

The coaching staff at Kings MMA athletes include Ricardo Testai, Leo Mafra, Naomi Cordeiro, Osmar Oliveira, and Mike Fernandez. But Giga Chikadze’s head coach is someone with a following, especially because of his links with Mike Tyson.

Does Giga Chikadze and Mike Tyson have the same coach?

Yes, they do indeed. Rafael Cordeiro, the head coach of Kings MMA, has been training with Mike Tyson for years, and by years we mean even before the Roy Jones Jr fight. In the same way, the 58-year-old ‘Iron’ has been with Giga Chikadze’s head coach, hitting the gym and gearing for his return to the squared circle against the YouTuber-turned-boxer, Jake Paul.

Having the same coach also comes with perks, especially if you share a coach with another top athlete. The experience of one can tremendously help the other, which could be true for Giga Chikadze because, like Mike Tyson in boxing, the Georgian owns a respectable UFC record. Also, Giga Chikadze seems to have developed quite a cordial relationship with Mike Tyson, a legend in the combat game. But how do we know that? Well, it is pretty evident from the candid snaps with Tyson on his social media handles, especially Instagram.

Giga Chikadze has been on fire recently. He was unbeaten since his first loss in 2018 until he was handed a loss by Calvin Kattar in 2022. But he regained his winning consistency and earned back a win and now heads to Manchester for a chance to get closer to the elite top 5.