UFC 248: Giga Chikadze replaces Movsar Evloev, faces Jamall Emmers

Jamall Emmers accepted a UFC 248 opportunity on short notice. Now, he won’t be the only one with less than a full training camp competing in the matchup.

Emmers’ original opponent, Movsar Evloev is off the card for unknown reasons. However, Giga Chikadze has stepped in on short notice to fight Emmers (17-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC)

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the targeted bout Wednesday. The people asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

UFC 248 takes place March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Emmers, 30, competed for more than a dozen regional promotions en route to the UFC. In 2016, Emmers appeared on an episode of “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight” and impressed the UFC president despite putting forth a losing effort.

After losing on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018, Emmers went back to the regional scene. Over the span of his next four fights, he finished all four of his opponents, including UFC veteran Jay Cucciniello.

As for Chikadze (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), the Georgian fighter has won three straight bouts, including his UFC debut over Brandon Davis in September. Chikadze was supposed to compete at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27 card in Norfolk, Va., but his opponent Mike Davis withdrew from the card and no replacement was sought.

With the switch, the latest UFC 248 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

• Champ Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero – for middleweight title
• Champ Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk – for strawweight title
• Li Jingliang vs. Neil Magny
• Sean O’Malley vs. Jose Quinonez
• Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

• Danaa Batgerel vs. Guido Cannetti
• Gerald Meerschaert vs. Deron Winn
• Polyana Viana vs. Emily Whitmire
• Giga Chikadze vs. Jamall Emmers

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)

• Saparbek Safarov vs. Rodolfo Vieira
• Austin Hubbard vs. Mark Madsen
• Beneil Dariush vs. Drakkar Klose
• Max Griffin vs. Alex Oliveira