Edson Barboza vs Gigi Chikadze: Preview of UFC on ESPN showdown

The battle world is buckling up for a top seemingly trying bout, as featherweights Edson Barboza and Gigi Chikadze meet this Saturday within the UFC on ESPN main event.

Eleven years into his UFC occupation, Barboza (22–9) looks to be like better than ever. He’ll enter this battle with an extremely shredded physique, provocative for a difficult battle in opposition to Chikadze (13–2), who has been almost about unstoppable within the cage.

“It’s loopy, I’m 35 years feeble and I contain better than ever,” says Barboza. “Sooner than, I was too laborious on my body. Beautiful now, I’m very healthy. I’ve learned about my work, and this used to be the top seemingly camp of my occupation.”

Ranked ninth within the division, Barboza licensed the battle in opposition to Chikadze, who is ranked a self-discipline beneath him at 10. Chikadze has been on a run, winning eight in a row and 13 out of his final 14. He had been kickboxing and competing in MMA simultaneously, using the cash from kickboxing to back finance his MMA pursuits, but his occupation took on unique existence used to be he fully shifted to mixed martial arts.

“That used to be truly laborious,” Chikadze says of his time doing each and every sports actions. It used to be when he had an opportunity on the Contender Sequence that he made up our minds to give up kickboxing and focal point fully on MMA, doing extra jiu-jitsu and wrestling. “I mandatory to place these steps to evolve in MMA. Within the kill, I now feel cherish a full fighter.”

Chikadze has been so dominant since fully committing to MMA four years ago, many high-ranked opponents want nothing to retain out with him within the cage. 

“No different high opponents mandatory to battle me excluding Barboza,” says Chikadze. “My name remains to be unique in UFC, but nobody has placing cherish me. Folk will know my model after this battle.”

The 32-year-feeble Chikadze possesses the dimensions, will and backbone to rigidity Barboza, which, amazingly, is share of the the clarification why Barboza licensed the battle.

“He’s hard, and that’s why I took the battle,” says Barboza. “I want folks that witness this battle to thunder, ‘Bro, I are attempting to have a study that battle.’ And it’s an opportunity for me within the main event. It will be a battle.

“I’ve to trek in there and carry out my job. The company is appreciating how laborious I work, and that’s why I’m within the main event, so that is amazingly well-known for me. I’ve loads to point to right here.”

Here is the first main-event bout for Chikadze, who is proudly representing the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.

“I’m honored to have such enhance from my country and symbolize them within the main event,” says Chikadze. “This battle is for all americans assist dwelling. They’ve been in a position to stare a Georgian fighter headline a UFC card.

“Barboza has performed loads within the game, he has a extraordinarily consuming model and slightly a couple of highlights. There is a reason his movies are so standard within the MMA world. I’m taking a stare to manufacture one other highlight, but for me with an consuming highlight of how I knocked him out. I’ve been working for this an extraordinarily very long time. After this battle, folks are going to grab my name. Beautiful now, folks are top seemingly talking about what he’s performed. Nonetheless my time is coming up. Here is the battle I’ve been watching for my whole existence.”

Chikadze’s time is inevitable, but Barboza seeks to retain off his challenger’s rise to prominence for no longer no longer as a lot as one extra battle.

“I’m restful hungry,” says Barboza. “I want extra. I’m provocative to battle. That is also hard. Gather provocative for battle.”

Justin Barrasso will even be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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