Monday Morning Hangover: What’s next for Giga Chikadze after Calvin Kattar loss at UFC Vegas 46?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to action after month off to stage UFC Vegas 46 last Sat. night (Jan. 15, 2022) from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Chase Sherman, who was submitted in the very first round by Jake Collier (see it here).

And Dakota Bush, who was knocked out in the opening frame by UFC newcomer Viacheslav Borshchev (video highlights). But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?

Giga Chikadze.

Coming into his five-round headliner against Calvin Kattar, Chikadze was on quite a hot streak after racking up nine straight wins, including seven straight inside the Octagon. Another win or two, and “Ninja” would have been in prime position to fight for the featherweight title.

Instead, the Georgian kickboxer found himself in a world of hurt against a determined Kattar who bounced back from his previous loss with a vengeance. And it’s not that Chikadze looked terrible; he put it to Kattar, as well. But in the end, “The Boston Finisher” was simply the better fighter — and a bit more ruthless when it came to his striking.

Once it was all said and done, Chikadze was left battered and bruised and with the first loss of his UFC career. Afterward, “Ninja” posted a brief statement on social media and decided to take a shot at Chan Sung Jung — who will fight for the title at UFC 273 — just because “The Korean Zombie” posted a facepalm emoji in regards to Chikadze’s loss.

“Thank you my real supporters!” Chikadze wrote. “I love you all and owe you [a speedy] comeback. Lots of fake people around, but that’s okay. Also, fuck you Korean Zombie, be happy with someone else’s loss, you cheap fuck.”

It seems Chikadze can’t take the heat but loves to dish it out. After all, he did slam Alexander Volkanovski for taking a fight against Jung — who he labeled as the easiest fight available — instead of accepting his challenge.

Nevertheless, Chikadze now finds himself having to start from scratch after his hot streak — which took two years to build — came to an end. But the 33 year-old striker has proven that he is more than up to the task.

His aggressive style — which has earned him four straight post-fight bonuses, including a “Fight of the Night” against Kattar — proves that whoever steps into the cage with him has to be ready for a fast-paced and brutal fight.

“I feel like if I would fight with [Kattar] 10 times, 9 times I would win,” Chikadze said on Facebook. “That would be the one I would lose and that was last night. It is what it is. I made mistake and I’m paying now with it. It’s all good. Guys, I’m unbreakable. Remember this shit, Georgians always unbreakable. This is how we fight, until the fucking end.”

As far as who he should face next, a fight against Dan Ige sounds appealing. Currently ranked one spot behind Chikadze at No. 8, Ige is in desperate need of a big win after dropping back-to-back losses to Josh Emmett and the aforementioned Jung. Despite his recent woes, Ige is still a tough draw for anyone standing in front of him.

Objections?

For complete UFC Vegas 46 results and coverage click here.