Giga Chikadze tired of short-notice opponents, wants UFC to give him a name

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Giga Chikadze beat Irwin Rivera with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Take a look inside the fight with Chikadze, who picked up his fifth straight win.

Result: Giga Chikadze def. Irwin Rivera via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Chikadze (10-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Rivera (9-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Chikadze won the striking battle 56-37.

Chikadze on the fight’s key moment

“I saw one of the fights of Rivera that he lost with an inside leg kick, so I was trying the same thing. I know it was hurting a lot. After a couple inside leg kicks, I kept doing the same thing – and then my leg started to swell.”

Chikadze on ‘The Giga Show’

“I think most fans have only seen Giga at 25 percent. There is a lot more to see. My friends call it the ‘Giga Show.’ It will slowly come, and when we reach 100 percent, you guys will be very happy to watch and enjoy a lot.”

Chikadze on what he wants next

“I don’t know what’s next. Hopefully they don’t schedule me against (Mike Davis). I’m not taking a fight against this guy anymore. … I’ve been working hard on my grappling, and I’m just going to go back in the gym after a week once my leg is recovered, and continue working on my grappling … I’m going to keep getting better and better and better. I’m going to ask the UFC – I want somebody with a name that people know.”

To hear more from Chikadze, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.