"He was a warrior" - 'The Korean Zombie' sets rivalry aside to show Giga Chikadze respect

Chan Sung Jung, aka 'The Korean Zombie,' has paid his respects to UFC featherweight Giga Chikadze. 'Ninja' recently suffered the first loss of his UFC career against Calvin Kattar.

Chikadze appeared to be en route to a shot at the UFC featherweight title. He had amassed seven consecutive wins in the promotion, including victories over Cub Swanson and Edson Barboza.

When Max Holloway dropped out of his title fight with Alexander Volkanovski, Chikadze was incredibly vocal in his desire to step in and fight for the belt. This came despite the fact that he already had a bout with Kattar booked.

Chikadze may well have underestimated Kattar, as the Bostonian put a five-round beating on 'Ninja' to secure a unanimous decision victory. Chan Sung Jung, who was ultimately picked to face Volkanovski next despite Chikadze's protests, initially appeared to mock the Georgian's loss.

However, on MMA Fighting's Instagram post, he did stated:

"He was a warrior."

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What is next for Giga Chikadze?

With his undefeated UFC run now snapped, Giga Chikadze must build his name back up and re-enter the title picture. To do so, wins against established names will be integral.

Dan Ige may be the perfect opponent to rebound against. The dynamic Hawiian is an established name who has headlined an event before. However, he has struggled in the UFC as of late, dropping decision losses to Chan Sung Jung and Josh Emmett.

Alternatively, if the UFC match-makers are feeling generous, Chikadze could face a higher-ranked fighter such as Arnold Allen, who has become somewhat forgotten at 145lbs despite his impressive 10 fight winning streak.

However, if Chikadze is not so fortunate, he could be paired with rising Russian prospect Movsar Evloev who, despite only being ranked No.13, may have the most dangerous wrestling game in the division.

Chikadze is an exciting fighter with legitimate striking. However, for him to reach his goal of UFC champion, he must fully round out his game. It is worth remembering that he is a career kickboxer, having only transitioned to MMA in 2015.