5 reasons why Giga Chikadze should be given a UFC title shot if he beats Calvin Kattar

#2. Giving the shot to Giga Chikadze would send a strong message to the rest of the UFC about sporting merit

Giving Giga Chikadze would make sense from a sporting perspective if he beats Calvin Kattar

With Max Holloway out of UFC 272’s main event against Alexander Volkanovski, it’d be very easy for the UFC to simply turn to a bigger name than Giga Chikadze to fill the gap.

We’ve already seen former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo throw his name into the hat, for instance. That's despite the fact he announced his retirement in 2020. Yair Rodriguez has also decided to call out Volkanovski, too.

However, handing a title shot to either man would be a major mistake on the behalf of the UFC. Sure, both men have bigger name value than Giga Chikadze. However, what would it say about the UFC’s sporting merit if they handed a title shot to a retired fighter who’s never fought at 145 pounds before, or to a fighter who is coming off a major loss, as Rodriguez is?

The UFC has shown they’re willing to do such things in the past, but sometimes it’d be much better for them to simply hand the bigger opportunities to more deserving fighters.

If he manages to beat Calvin Kattar this weekend, then Chikadze would be on an eight-fight win streak in the octagon with three wins over highly-ranked opponents. That should be enough for a title shot by anyone’s standards, let alone for a late-notice one in the stead of an injured fighter.

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#1. Giga Chikadze would provide an excellent and exciting opponent for Alexander Volkanovski

Giga Chikadze would make for a fun opponent for Alexander Volkanovski

Perhaps the biggest reason that the UFC should hand Giga Chikadze a shot at Alexander Volkanovski should he defeat Calvin Kattar is the fact that he’s arguably the most exciting up-and-comer in the division to watch right now.

‘Ninja’ has an aggressive and wild striking style. He’s also willing to grapple with his foes on the mat, too. More to the point, he’s proven himself to be a finisher, even as the standard of his opposition has improved.

Chikadze went to decisions with lower-level fighters during his early days in the UFC, but in his last two fights, the Georgian produced the best performances of his career to stop both Swanson and Barboza.

Volkanovski would naturally be on an entirely different level in terms of toughness. Nobody in the UFC has been able to defeat the Australian, with ‘The Great’ beating the likes of Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega and Max Holloway on two occasions.

The Australian is skilled in all areas. He’s tricky to take down, hits like a truck and is also technical on the feet. He has also shown remarkable submission defense.

However, there would be a few question marks over how he’d handle the aggressive nature and fleet-footed kickboxing style of Chikadze, particularly the Georgian’s dangerous kicks.

Essentially, it’d be an easy fight for the UFC to market as a potential classic, as the highlight reel of ‘Ninja’ would easily sell him as a title challenger. Assuming he beats Calvin Kattar, there’s no reason the promotion shouldn’t go for it.