Giga Chikadze Knocks Out Edson Barboza at UFC Vegas 35

When the Octagon door closed on Saturday night, both fighters lost no time to attack with leg kicks and jabs. The first round saw the opponents landing significant body kicks and finding openings for punches, with Chikadze gaining a slight upper hand in this meeting of two talented strikers.

In the second round, Chikadze continued to connect body kicks and fast punches while Barboza retaliated with punishing calf kicks. The fight escalated in round three when Chikadze rocked Barboza with a hard left, followed by a right to the chin that wobbled the Brazilian. Quick to pursue, Chikadze launched into an Anaconda choke attempt, but ultimately finished his opponent in a flurry of punches.

Referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight at 1:44 minutes of Round 3 with Chikadze as the winner by TKO and recipient of a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

“Now it’s my time. It’s Giga time… It’s different, so guys please make sure to put yourself on a Giga train and ride with me,” said Monster Energy’s Chikadze after winning the Main Event fight at UFC Vegas 35.

Saturday night’s win brings Chikadze’s professional record to fourteen wins and two losses. Before making his UFC debut in 2019, he earned titles as the karate world champion (2008) and kickboxing world champion (2013). Chikadze remains undefeated in seven fights in the UFC.

What’s next for Chikadze? In his Octagon interview with Paul Felder, the Georgian fighter specifically called out Max Holloway and put the entire 145-pound division on notice: “I finished the guys who are absolute legends of the sport. Honestly, I’m here to fight the best fights, biggest names. If it’s a title shot, I would like to be a replacement fighter.”