After a break for the winter holidays, the UFC returns with its first event of 2022. UFC Vegas 46 is headlined by two top featherweights.
Eighth-ranked Giga Chikadze looks to improve his UFC undefeated winning streak to eight with a win over fifth-ranked Calvin Kattar (pictured, left) on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
This weekend’s fight could have title implications for Chikadze with a victory. A trilogy fight between UFC Featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski and No. 1 contender and former champ Max Holloway won’t happen at UFC 272. Holloway is on the mend, but he won’t be ready in time for the planned March event.
However, the featherweight champion has other options including “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
Chikadze vs. Kattar odds
Chikadze (14-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is coming off two TKO wins over UFC veterans Edson Barboza and Cub Swanson, who are both known for their toughness and grit along with their experience in the Octagon.
The Georgian mixed-martial artist and former Glory kickboxer is known for his “Giga kick,” his signature body kick that pinpoints an opponent’s liver and has been the finisher of multiple fights in his career.
He is also a former Dana White’s Contender Series contestant, where he suffered his second-ever professional loss and wasn’t awarded a UFC contract until later.
Kattar (22-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) hasn’t fought since Jan. 2021, headlining the UFC on ABC 1 card against Holloway. The fight was very one-sided, in which the former champion Holloway dominated all five rounds.
In the fight, Holloway broke the UFC single-fight records for total strikes landed and attempted, significant strikes landed and attempted as well as significant head and body strikes landed. Holloway also broke the single-round record for most strikes landed in the fourth round.
Kattar has notable UFC wins over Dan Ige, Jeremy Stephens, Ricardo Lamas and Shane Burgos.
The matchup between these two top-ten featherweights will more than likely stay on the feet as Kattar prefers to use his boxing and Chikadze is one of the top kickboxers in the division.
UFC Vegas 46 Main Event: Tale of the Tape
Giga Chikadze
- Age: 33
- Height: 6’0’’
- Weight: 145.5 lbs
- Reach: 74 inches
- Last five fights:
- Edson Barboza: TKO (W)
- Cub Swanson: TKO (W)
- Jamey Simmons: TKO (W)
- Omar Morales: Dec. (W)
- Irwin Rivera: Dec. (W)
Calvin Kattar
- Age: 33
- Height: 5’11’’
- Weight: 145 lbs
- Reach: 72 inches
- Last five fights:
- Max Holloway: Dec. (L)
- Dan Ige: Dec. (W)
- Jeremy Stephens: KO (W)
- Zabit Magomedsharipov: Dec. (L)
- Ricardo Lamas: KO (W)
UFC Vegas 46 Co-Main Event: Chookagian vs Maia
This week’s co-main event took some twists and turns.
First, the Brazilian fan-favorite Michel Pereira was locked in to face Muslim Salikhov in what could’ve been a Fight of The Night contender before an undisclosed injury forced Salikhov out of the contest.
Then, the fight found an exciting and intriguing replacement in Andre Fialho, but between contract work and COVID-19 protocols, the fight has been pushed back to next weekend’s UFC 270 card.
So here we are: Katlyn Chookagian and Jennifer Maia have been moved up to the co-main spot. The two top-five flyweights will battle it out for a second time as both women are looking for the open road back to the belt and its holder Valentina Shevchenko.
Chookagian vs. Maia odds
No. 2-ranked Chookagian (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) beat the No. 4-ranked Maia (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) the first time they fought back at UFC 244 in 2019 by decision.
Chookagian, who fought Shevchenko and lost by TKO in early 2020 is coming off of back-to-back decision wins over fellow top flyweights Cynthia Calvillo and Viviane Araujo.
Maia also lost to Shevchenko in late 2020, but by decision as she survived the five rounds with the champion. The former Invicta FC champion is coming off her own decision victory over Jessica Eye at UFC 264 last summer.
Both Chookagian and Maia only have one finish between them in the UFC (Maia submitted Joanne Calderwood) so this Saturday’s fight may very well go the distance, but it will be a battle of toughness nonetheless and an impressive victory by either woman could put them right back into title contention and a second shot at Shevchenko.
UFC Vegas 46 Co-Main Event: Tale of the Tape
Katlyn Chookagian
- Age: 33
- Height: 5’9’’
- Weight: 125 lbs
- Reach: 68 inches
- Last five fights:
- Vivane Araujo: Dec. (W)
- Cynthia Calvillo: Dec. (W)
- Jessica Andrade: TKO (L)
- Antonina Shevchenko: Dec. (W)
- Valentina Shevchenko: TKO (L)
Jennifer Maia
- Age: 33
- Height: 5’4’’
- Weight: 125 lbs
- Reach: 64 inches
- Last five fights:
- Jessica Eye: Dec. (W)
- Valentina Shevchenko: Dec. (L)
- Joanne Calderwood: Sub. (W)
- Katlyn Chookagian: Dec. (L)
- Roxanne Modafferi: Dec. (W)
More Vegas UFC 46 betting odds
Main Card:
- Featherweight: Calvin Kattar vs Giga Chikadze
- Flyweight: Katlyn Chookagian vs Jennifer Maia
Flyweight: Brandon Royval vs Rogerio Bontorin
Heavyweight: Jake Collier vs Chase Sherman
Featherweight: Bill Algeo vs Joanderson Brito
Prelims:
Welterweight: Court McGee vs Ramiz Brahimaj
- Lightweight: Charles Rosa vs T.J. Brown
- Lightweight: Dakota Bush vs Viacheslav Borshchev
- Featherweight: Brian Kelleher vs Kevin Croom
The strawweight Silvana Gomez Juarez vs Vanessa Demopoulos bout has been moved to UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane.