Giga Chikadze has been begging for a fight – and he’s found one in perennial contender Edson Barboza.
The UFC is working on finalizing the two featherweights against one another for a matchup that will headline the promotion’s Aug. 28 event, expected to take place in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the targeted booking to MMA Junkie on Monday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN first reported the matchup.
Barboza (22-9 MMA, 16-9 UFC) will look to continue his streak of recent success as he enters the fight on back-to-back wins. Following a three-fight losing skid, Barboza defeated Makwan Amirkhani via unanimous decision in October. At UFC 262 in May, Barboza knocked out Shane Burgos in a “Fight of the Night” bonus-earning performance.
Since a quick win over Cub Swanson in May, Chikadze (13-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has openly campaigned for a fight against any ranked featherweight, which he gets in Barboza. Since a loss on Dana White’s Contender Series, Chikadze has rolled past eight opponents placed in his tracks – including four first-round finish wins. The Aug. 28 will be his first UFC headliner.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night event for Aug. 28 includes:
- Edson Barboza vs. Giga Chikadze
- Gerald Meerschaert vs. Makhmud Muradov
- Sara McMann vs. Ketlen Vieira
- Joselyne Edwards vs. Zarah Fairn
- Kevin Croom vs. Marcelo Rojo
- Mario Bautista vs. Guido Cannetti
- Jamall Emmers vs. Pat Sabatini
- Dustin Jacoby vs. Darren Stewart
- J.J. Aldrich vs. Tracy Cortez
- Sean Brady vs. Kevin Lee
- Mario Bautista vs. Guido Cannetti
- Alessio Di Chirico vs. Aliaskhab Khizriev
