Giga Chikadze will be looking to continue his steady climb up the UFC featherweight rankings with a ninth straight victory when he enters the octagon against Edson Barboza on Saturday as a slim +100 underdog on the UFC odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Currently ranked 10th among UFC featherweights, Chikadze is coming off back-to-back opening-round TKO victories, lifting his professional MMA record to 13-2 going into Saturday night’s bout at UFC Apex.
The 33-year-old Chikadze turned in his most impressive performance since joining the UFC two years ago in his last outing. Chikadze needed just 63 seconds to end Cub Swanson’s night at UFC Vegas 25, finishing the UFC veteran with a combination of body kicks and punches. That win came on the heels of a first-round TKO victory over Jamey Simmons at UFC Vegas 13, and earned Chikadze a second straight Performance of the Night bonus.
Those recent impressive outings also marked an important step forward for Chikadze, who needed a nod from the judges to claim victory in each of his first four UFC contests. And speedy finishes are nothing new for Chikadze, who claimed victory inside five minutes in each of his seven outings while fighting with Gladiator’s Challenge.
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However, Chikadze is likely to face his stiffest challenge yet against Barboza, who looks to Saturday’s contest as a -120 favourite at online betting sites. The 35-year-old Brazilian sits at No. 9 on the UFC featherweight rankings after posting a second straight victory, a third-round KO victory over Shane Burgos at UFC 262 that also earned him a Fight of the Night bonus.
Barboza’s current success coincides with his recent move to the UFC featherweight division after fighting primarily as a lightweight for over a decade. The Taekwondo black belt came out on the wrong end of a split decision in his featherweight debut against Dan Ige in UFC Fight Night action in May 2020. However, the tide turned for Barboza with a unanimous decision win over Makwan Amirkhani, and he has gone the distance in three of his past four fights.
Elsewhere on the UFC Fight Night odds for Saturday, The Ultimate Fighter 29 middleweight tournament winner will be crowned as Bryan Battle takes on Gilbert Urbina as -170 chalk. The Ultimate Fighter 29 bantamweight tournament final has Ricky Turcios facing off against Brady Hiestand as a -155 wager. And earlier in the evening, welterweights clash as Kevin Lee tangles with Daniel Rodriguez as -150 chalk.